


Shifting Hearts

by sweetrosei



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M, Neko!Levi, No Smut, Not a neko fetish story, Slow Build, cat!levi, eruri - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-05
Updated: 2016-11-21
Packaged: 2018-05-05 02:33:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 29,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5357705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetrosei/pseuds/sweetrosei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set in an AU future where humans share the world with Neko-hybrids and Erwin accidentally kidnaps Levi while trying to save a stray cat. A story of trust, friendship, love, and lost family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Here you go." Erwin said with a warm smile as he handed a bowl of soup to the kid in front of him then started filling the next bowl. At least once a week, and more often when he could, Erwin volunteered at local homeless shelters. He was a pretty good cook, so he often brought his homemade food in for people and today he'd brought mushroom soup. The weather was getting colder too, so he'd also brought along some extra blankets he'd bought from a charity shop. Erwin had always wanted to protect and help people, that's why he volunteered and donated when and what he could. He considered it to be his duty as a human being to treat others decently.

He stayed at the shelter for just over 3 hours, serving out the rest of the food he'd brought, cleaning up after, and staying to talk to everyone who stuck around. When he was done and packed up, he started walking back home. He was about 15 minutes from his house when he paused after passing an alleyway. Back-stepping a little, he looked down into the alley. Two restaurants had their back entrances leading to the alley, so it wasn't too uncommon to see people and animals hanging around there hoping for something to eat. One of the restaurants saved its left overs and handed them out to any homeless people who came by. It was a bit early in the afternoon for that yet but something else had caught his eye. He thought he'd seen something disappear behind the big bins and he thought it was small enough that it might have been a child.

He crept down the alley, calling out a cautious but friendly hello. There were no homes nearby, just restaurants and shops, so it wasn't normal for a child to be down one of the back alleys. If it was a child then either they’d gotten lost in a bad place or they had nowhere else to go, either way there was a good chance they needed help. As he got closer and heard no response, so he looked to the side of the bins, where he thought the child might be. It surprised him to find no one there. He was sure he'd seen some black hair. He frowned as he wondered if he'd seen something else, perhaps a rat, and looked into the shadow behind the bin to be sure. For a moment he couldn't see anything there but then something moved and slowly, cautiously, a semi-longhaired black cat poked its head out.

The cat looked at him, appearing wary but curious. Erwin could tell that the cat wasn't being well cared for. It must have been looking after itself since its coat was okay but it was thinner than a cat should be, even with all the fluff. The cat watched Erwin as he looked over it. Erwin quite liked cats; they were intelligent, looked after themselves for the most part, and were cute. He crouched down and held out his hand, hoping to coax the cat out. He knew he'd given all the food on him to the shelter but he had to try. Maybe he could check if it had a collar on under all that fur and if not, try to get it to a vet to see if it had been micro-chipped. Someone might be missing the cat, or it could be a stray and he'd take it to one of the animal shelters he knew would care for it.

The cat, however, had other ideas. It sniffed the air before Erwin’s hand could get close and backed up a little further behind the bin. It didn't seem to trust him and he couldn't say it was surprising. Erwin wondered if there would be enough time to get back to his apartment, grab some food and a blanket, and get back here again to catch the cat before it ran off somewhere else. He decided the chance was worth taking when the cat backed further away. There was no way it was coming out for him with no good reason.

Erwin hurried the rest of the journey to his house. When he got there he raided the fridge for some sliced chicken he used in his sandwiches and a towel to hold the cat in. He hoped the towel would stop him getting scratched or, if it was a stray, getting fleas, ticks, or whatever else the cat might have.

When he got back to the alley his heart sunk a little as he saw no sign of the cat. Crouching down next to the bin, he put the chicken on a handkerchief from his pocket. He waited a little, watching the bin and starting to worry that maybe the cat had run off. Letting out a soft sigh, he wondered if he should just report the cat to one of the respectable cat protection shelters. He turned around to check he hadn't missed the cat behind him somehow and froze when he spotted it stalking towards him without making a sound. As he stared, the cat paused, still low to the ground. Erwin turned a little more and pushed the handkerchief and chicken toward the cat. He tried to be as subtle as he could as he moved. He took hold of the towel behind his back and prepared to pounce on the cat at the same time as the cat pounced on the chicken. It wasn’t going to be easy, especially with only one hand, but he was going to try.

The cat continued moving towards the food after a moment of appraising Erwin. It sniffed the chicken when it got close then sat down and started eating, looking a lot calmer all of a sudden. Erwin was a little surprised that the cat hadn't tried to run off with the food but instead was eating in front of him. Perhaps he didn’t need to dive on it after all. Erwin took out a little more from the packet he'd brought with him and held it out in his hand when the cat finished what he'd put on the handkerchief. The cat gave him a cautious look and sniffed his hand a lot before taking the chicken. The cat put the chicken down on Erwin's handkerchief and ate it from there.

Erwin wondered if maybe he'd be able to pick up the cat easier than he'd expected and reached out his hand to stroke it. The cat sunk low to avoid his hand and hissed up at him, looking cautious of him and protective of the chicken at the same time. Erwin held his hand there next to the cat, not pulling it back but not moving to try to stroke it again either. He hoped the cat would get used to it and realise he’s not a threat. After a moment the cat continued to eat the rest of the chicken. When it had finished it looked up at the hand, sniffed it, and then looked towards the packet of chicken on Erwin's lap. There was a silent moment where Erwin wondered if he should grab the cat now, while the cat looked like it was trying to work out if it was safe to grab the packet and run off with it.

Erwin held his breath and snuck his hand back behind him as the cat crept closer to reach the packet on his lap. As the cat put its teeth around the packet to grab it, Erwin pulled the towel out from behind his back and flung it over the cat. He grabbed it and held it to his body as best as he could as it hissed and writhed. He dropped the packet of chicken but somehow kept hold of the cat. Two hands would be extremely useful right now, he thought to himself in mild frustration as he struggled to keep hold of the cat and the towel while he got up. Luckily the towel had gone over the cat's head and he remembered hearing somewhere that not being able to see could sometimes calm cats. He fairly sure that wasn’t working. Regardless, he hurried off towards his apartment as quick as he could without scaring the still squirming cat any more than necessary. He felt bad that the cat must be scared, but he knew if he left it there something bad could happen and he'd feel responsible.

He managed to get to his building okay but paused at the door. It was going to be hard to get his key out of his pocket and keep hold of the cat. Luckily, a neighbour happened to come out while he was trying to shift the - now calmer but angrily meowing - cat into a secure enough position that he could hold it while getting his keys. The neighbour held the door for him as they left, eyeing the squirming bundle Erwin was holding, and he got into the elevator with relative ease. His front door would be another challenge so he took advantage of the elevator to help him reach his keys. If he did screw up and the cat got loose here, at least he had until he got to his floor to catch it again in the small space. Luckily, with the help of the wall, he managed to get his key in his hand and the cat secure.

It felt a little like the cat was biding its time, being as still as it now was, but Erwin tried to ignore the feeling as he left the elevator, unlocked his door, and went into his apartment. He headed straight for the bathroom and kicked the door shut behind him. It seemed like the best place to put the cat at the time, so he put the cat-towel bundle down in the bath and stepped back.

The cat stayed still for a moment before it began wriggling around. A few seconds later and it had succeed in extracting itself from the towel. Once free, it backed into the furthest away corner of the bath with its back arched and hissing. Erwin held up his hands as if the cat would understand the peaceful gesture and stayed back. He needed to show he meant no harm. Perhaps more food? He regretted dropping the chicken in the alley but he was sure he could find something else. Perhaps some butter, he knew a lot of cats liked that. The bath probably wasn’t really the best place for a cat but he didn’t want it escaping the bathroom and running about his apartment. He figured he could make it a little more comfortable by grabbing another towel to put in the bath for a softer surface while he was getting food. Keeping an eye on the angry cat, Erwin backed towards the door before rushing out of there and shutting the door behind him as fast as he could, just in case.

Erwin decided against the butter as he looked in his fridge. While he’d heard it made a good treat, he didn’t know how well this cat had been eating and he still thought it was thin so he decided to share another of his sandwich ingredients instead and opened a packet of sliced ham. He cut up a slice and put it on a plate. Balancing a small bowl of water on the plate next to the ham and the towel over his arm, he made his way back into the bathroom.

The cat hadn't moved from its spot when he came back in. He slowly moved closer and put the plate down in the bath. Next, he slid the water bowl over, getting the bowl as close as he could while staying out of reach of the cat’s claws. Then he slid the food over and spread the towel out over the bare areas of the bath he could reach and folded the other already in there to make more of a comfortable area for the cat to lie down on if it wanted. The cat stayed staring at him as he backed away. Only when he was by the door did the cat move towards the food. It sniffed it even more than it had before, now far more wary of him than it had first been in the alley. Erwin decided perhaps it was best to leave the cat to calm down a little and left the bathroom with the door shut behind him.

Erwin washed his hand and arm from where he'd had contact with the strange cat, then sat on his sofa and worked out what to do. He hadn't seen a collar yet, so he assumed it didn't have one. There was a slim chance he'd missed it under all the fluff but it didn't seem likely. There was still a chance it could be micro-chipped though, so he searched for local vets. As he searched, he listened out for any signs of movement from the bathroom.

After a quick chat, he secured an appointment with a nearby vet tomorrow afternoon to check if there was a chip and they'd also try to have a look at the cat's health while it was there.

An hour later, Erwin poked his head behind the door to check on the cat and found it sitting down on the folded towel, watching him. The ham was gone. Erwin smiled a little at that, glad that the cat had eaten. While the cat looked less afraid now, it didn't look pleased to see him either. It had a distinctly disgruntled look. As Erwin came in and shut the door, it watched him, seeming ready to fight or flee at any moment if necessary. He only had one bathroom in the apartment and he needed to pee. He wasn't too put off as the cat continued to watch him as he relieved himself, not surprised that a wary cat wasn't going to take its eyes off him. It's not like cats had the same shame humans did.

He was grateful his bathroom was set up so he didn't have to go too close to the bath to wash his hands and wouldn't have to bother the cat too much. The cat's eyes never left him until he left the bathroom.

The rest of the day went without incident. He cut off some meat for the cat while he made dinner and swapped the empty plate in the bath with that one once he’d finished. The cat continued to be wary but didn't seem overly fussed anymore. Apparently it adjusted quickly. Then again, he didn't think the cat would be still so calm if he tried to touch it again.

Erwin went about the rest of his evening as normal. There wasn’t much he could do for the cat except make sure it was safe and had access to food and water. He hadn’t been prepared for gaining a cat suddenly, albeit temporarily, so he made a makeshift litter tray but was prepared to accept the possibility that a stray cat may be unlikely to use that. He was extra glad he’d put those towels down.

Erwin watched TV and read for a few hours before going to bed. He briefly wondered how he was going to transport the cat to the vet the next day, but there would be plenty of time to go find or buy a cardboard box to carry it in. He wasn't going to need to buy a long lasting cat box, after all.

~

When Erwin woke in the morning he'd almost forgotten about the cat. It wasn't until he got into the hallway and saw the open bathroom door that he remembered. He usually left his bathroom door ajar, seeing no point in shutting it completely when he lived alone, but it felt off when he saw it open that morning. As soon as it clicked into place, he rushed in. The towels, bowl and plate were still in the bath but there was no cat. He knew some cats were smart enough to work out how to open doors, especially lever handle ones like his, so he rushed out into the hallway and started looking around the lounge for any sign of the cat. Nothing had been disturbed, so the cat must have behaved fairly well when it had escaped from the bathroom.

He looked around, under and behind everything he could but still couldn’t find the cat. Surely there was no way it could have gotten out? His front door had a bolt lock on it and even without that there was no way a cat could open that door. He didn't even bother checking that the bolt was still locked.

Eventually Erwin gave up and settled on making breakfast and hoping the cat would come out at the smell of food. He turned on the kettle to make some coffee and put some bread in the toaster. He opened the fridge to get some butter and milk and froze. There were several things missing from his fridge, all the things that didn't need cooking and could last more than a couple of hours outside of the fridge. Those were definitely there when he had made dinner last night.

He immediately rushed to his front door. There was no way a burglar could get in through the windows since he was on the sixth floor so the front door was the only way. No one should be able to get in with the lock, especially with the bolt lock, and there were no obvious signs of a break-in. The bolt lock, however, was undone.

Erwin tried to think over if maybe he could have left it unlocked last night but even if he had, the door still had an automatic lock. It wouldn’t have been easy for a burglar to get in and out. He frowned as he looked back at his lounge. Just from where he was standing he could see several expensive items that would have been easy to grab and be worth stealing, but they were all still there. Why on earth would someone break in just to raid his fridge? That didn't make any sense.

Another thought occurred to him; had a burglar let the cat out?

Erwin continued his confusion as he heard his toast popup and headed back to the kitchen area of his lounge. His brow stayed furrowed as he buttered his toast, made his coffee, and went to sit on the sofa. He'd finished his breakfast, cleaned the dishes, washed up in the bathroom, and was considering whether to call the police when a new thought hit him.

‘Neko-hybrids’ weren't common but they weren't too rare either. They were a peaceful, intelligent species that had been discovered on the planet about 40 years ago. They are still very small in number compared to humans but are known by all and are generally accepted on the surface. However, since society is often cruel to those who are different, it is no secret that some Neko-hybrids suffer terrible abuse. It doesn’t help that Neko-hybrids are extremely secretive so no one really knows much about them, including the world’s governments and scientists. None of the Neko-hybrids have showed any interest in revealing the truth of their history. In fact, they are so secretive that they won’t even give their species name, and instead go along with the nickname humanity gave them; Neko-hybrids. The name comes from their ability to change their appearance at will into one of three forms (that people know of): a human form, a cat form, and a hybrid of the two. Some use this to blend in with human society so they aren’t treated differently. Others left human society and created Neko-hybrid communities where they don’t have to hide who they are and humans aren’t allowed. The main thing Erwin was thinking about right now though, was that he'd heard that some, and there was no way to tell how many, hid as cats and even blended in as pets.

Could he have brought a Neko-hybrid into his house? It would certainly explain why they'd been able to open his doors, steal his food and sneak out without any trace and why he couldn't find the cat now. But if that was the case, it only worried him more. The fact that his food had gone and the cat had been so eager to eat the food he'd offered them suggested that they didn't have a home to go to and food of their own. He was grateful that they hadn't taken any of his valuables, but he was still worried.

Erwin had donated money to charities that supported Neko-hybrids before, as well as his usual charities. There was a good chance this lost Neko-hybrid had a bad backstory and might need help. There wasn't a lot he could do though. He had no idea what the Neko-hybrid would look like if he went out looking, except for their cat form. All he could do was keep an eye out in case he saw the cat again. He could go back and check the alley again later in case it returned there too, but there wasn’t much else.

He phoned the vet an hour later to cancel the appointment when he remembered and took some food back to that alley around the same time he'd been there the day before. He waited longer than he probably should have but didn't see the cat. He left the food though, just in case.

Unbeknownst to Erwin, the cat was watching him quite curiously.


	2. Chapter 2

Over the next few days Erwin kept an extra eye out for any sign of the cat as he went about. He still felt uneasy not knowing what happened to them but he couldn't exactly report it. He had no idea what the cat would look like in their human form - if they were a Neko-hybrid - so he couldn't tell the police and a cat shelter wouldn't do anything unless he could tell them where the cat was. He also didn't really want to phone a cat protection shelter in case the cat did turn out to be a Neko-hybrid. He couldn’t imagine that would go down well. He thought about leaving more food in the alley but he didn't think the restaurants would like that since it might encourage rats and other things that could cause them serious trouble.

Five days later Erwin returned home from another volunteering session at a homeless shelter. He was unlocking the front door to the apartment building when he heard a meow. He span around, not having forgotten the cat at all, and stared at the fluffy black cat sitting on the pavement a little way from him. It looked curious and just as thin as last time. Erwin bit his lip as he stared at it before turning towards it a little more.

"Are you hungry? I have more of that chicken I gave you before. I have other food if you want that too." he offered. There was still a bit of doubt about whether the cat really was a Neko-hybrid, he'd never seen one before or even met anyone who had, but it was the only explanation that really made any sense. It wasn't all that strange to talk to a regular cat anyway though; people seemed to do that all the time, so he wasn’t embarrassed. The cat continued to look at him before taking a few steps forward then sitting and meowing again. Erwin took that as a yes and continued unlocking the door. He held it open. "Will you come in?" He hoped he could get the cat inside so he could offer proper help but he wasn't sure they would trust him enough.

Sure enough, the cat didn't move. Erwin nodded. "Alright, I'll bring it out. Please stay there." he said, keeping his eyes on the cat a moment longer, to check it wasn’t about to sprint away, before heading inside. He moved as fast as he could without running and put down his belongings before shoving a plate, a knife, and the whole packet of chicken slices into a bag. He hooked the bag over his arm and carried a bowl of water in his hand.

When he got back downstairs and outside the cat was sat a little closer to the door. Erwin smiled in relief at the sight and held up the bag he'd put the things in with a big smile.

"Will you join me on that bench?" he asked, gesturing to the one a little further down the pavement and close to building. He started walking that way anyway, figuring if it was just a cat then it’d probably follow the food, and if the cat was a Neko-hybrid they may not want to do anything that directly gave away that they understand him. Erwin wasn’t going to mention that stealing his food, breaking out of his apartment, getting down the elevator, through the building's front door and out in the street, wasn't exactly something a cat could do.

Erwin sat on the bench and watched as the cat jumped up onto it next to him. The cat stayed as far from Erwin as possible on the bench, still wary for understandable reasons. Erwin put the water down first, then unpacked the bag, cutting up the first chicken slice and putting it on the plate. He briefly wondered if a Neko-hybrid would think him rather strange for cutting up their food, but it wasn't exactly like a cat could easily eat a whole slice on its own.

He watched the cat eat and thought about what to say, relieved to see the cat again and getting another chance to help.

"I hope I didn't scare you too much the other day. I was trying to help. I volunteer at several of the local homeless shelters, so I'm used to helping when I can." he started, hoping no one walked by and thought he was talking a bit _too_ conversationally to a cat. Either they'd think he was very strange or there was a slim chance they might work out that maybe the cat wasn’t _just_ a cat and that was most likely not something they wanted revealed. "If you're, um-" he paused. How was best to phrase the next bit? "If you're... a cat..." Erwin frowned a little at the awkward phrasing and the cat looked up at him from the food for a moment. It sounded a little strange to say, and he knew he was risking the Neko-hybrid running from him for what sentence implied and what he was about to say next, but he wanted to say something. "I know some good cat shelters that take proper care of all the cats they have, you'd be safe there, but um... if you're..." Here goes. He had to word this carefully. "I volunteer at some very good human shelters or I could help you find a Neko-hybrid community to go to." He watched the cat as they stared at him. They held eye contact for probably a minute before the cat cautiously started eating again, still looking up at him when it wasn’t grabbing a bite and looking wary all over again. "I just want to make sure you're okay. I can bring you food here tomorrow too if you want more time to think." he offered, not wanting to pressure them into any decision. The moment the cat had looked up at him when he'd said the words 'if you're a cat' he knew his guess was right though. This wasn't just a regular cat.

He cut up another slice of chicken when the first was finished and put it down on the plate. He stayed there until all the slices had been eaten and most of the water drunk. For a moment, the cat looked like it was considering hanging around a little but then they jumped down from the bench and started walking off.

"I'll be here with food the same time tomorrow; 4pm." Erwin called out after them, fully intending to keep his word until his help wasn't wanted.

He continued meeting the Neko-hybrid there at the same time for the next 3 days, bringing different pre-cut up food each time. He'd considered buying cat food but he wasn't sure if that would be insulting rather than helpful so he stuck with good meat instead.

On the fourth day, Erwin started to worry even more. It had been cold for a while now but it hadn't rained until today, and now it was raining _hard_. This was the kind of rain that wasn't going to let up any time soon and there would probably be more for the following days too. He knew the human shelters were always especially busy during such weather and he was worried whether or not the Neko-hybrid had somewhere safe and covered to go to. He went down to the bench earlier than usual with an umbrella and a hand towel. If he could, he wanted to convince the Neko-hybrid to come inside this time, but if not, he thought maybe he could at least convince them to take the towel with them for some kind of warmth and help, even if it meant carrying it on their back in cat form.

The cat arrived about 20 minutes after Erwin and sprinted out of the rain and under the bench. It was soaked and Erwin's heart broke the same way it always did when he saw people in need.

"Please come inside." The words came out before he could stop himself. He meant to ease into the question but the rain was horrible and the cat looked a mess. "I won't hurt you and I won't force you to stay. You're free to leave whenever you want, but please at least come in from the rain for a little while so you can warm up and dry off." He asked, knowing he had that wide-eyed look his friends and co-workers complained about being unable to resist. He hadn't done the look intentionally the first time with his friends, and he wasn't doing it intentionally now, but he had learnt to master it for use when he needed to.

The cat looked at him through the slits under the bench, curled up and looking very cold and unhappy. It then looked at the door and back at him. Erwin stood up and held the umbrella away from his head and lower towards the ground instead, offering it to cover the Neko-hybrid on the way to the door, hoping the cat’s look meant yes. After another moment of staring between them, the cat started slinking out from under the bench, staying low to the ground and looking unsure but walking towards the door with Erwin by their side nevertheless.

Erwin opened the front door of the building and held it open for the cat to go in first, who ran in fast and went straight for the centre of the entrance hallway. Erwin smiled with relief and shut the door behind him. He shook out the umbrella and put it in the communal stand. "Will you come up to my apartment? I have towels you can dry off with and heating and you can choose whatever food you want. Just walk to my front door if you want to leave and I'll let you go."

The cat looked over him for a moment, and Erwin got the feeling he was being judged as an idiot, before the cat walked to the elevator door. Erwin couldn't help his smile again as he followed the cat into the elevator and they went up to his floor. The cat followed him out to his door and waited as Erwin unlocked it. The cat hesitated when Erwin held his apartment door open, obviously and understandably nervous, but the cat headed on in after a moment and walked straight over to the radiator in his lounge. Erwin put the food he'd brought down in a bag on the kitchen counter then went over to the cat. He wasn't quite sure what to do now. Would the Neko-hybrid want to change form and dry themselves or should Erwin offer to dry them in their current form? He blinked at the cat as he held the hand towel. The cat looked up at him and meowed.

"Would you like me to dry you? I have no problem doing that. Or there are bigger towels in my bathroom" he pointed down the hall "if you'd rather do it yourself".

The cat looked up at him, then at the towel, down the hall, and then at the radiator.

"The bathroom is heated too" Erwin added, thinking maybe they were reluctant to leave the warmth of the radiator. The cat was looking towards the bathroom and then at Erwin again. He tried to work out what the Neko-hybrid might be thinking and then had a realisation. _Oh_. Of course. "I'll be in here the whole time," he promised "there's a lock on the door too." At the confirmation of their privacy, the Neko-hybrid started walking towards the bathroom.

Erwin boiled the kettle as the Neko-hybrid dried themselves off. He thought about making a hot drink but he wasn't sure if it was supposed to be one or two. Would the person be coming back out in their cat or human form? Or even a completely different form? A few minutes after the cat went into the bathroom, he heard the shower turn on. He was a little surprised for a moment before he smiled. Well, at least the Neko-hybrid couldn't be too uncomfortable if they were willing to shower in his apartment.

A little later he heard the bathroom door open a crack and a moment later he heard something land on his sofa. He turned to see the cat sat on the hand towel he'd dropped on there when it hadn't been needed. The cat's fur was much dryer than before but still a little damp since it was hard to fully dry hair with just a towel but Erwin didn't own a hairdryer. He wasn't 100% sure how it all worked, changing between forms, but he figured the water wouldn't just disappear as fur turned into hair and bare skin and vice-versa, so it made sense that some stayed damp.

Erwin chattered away as he cooked some chicken breast for the Neko-hybrid, thinking warm food would be better today, in case there was still some chill in his company. He tried asking some basic questions, did they want more water, did they have somewhere to stay, but he just got stares as answers so he ended up mostly talking about himself. When the chicken was done he cut it up and put it on a plate. He put that on the table and pushed it close to the sofa where the Neko-hybrid was sitting, who shuffled forward to eat. The Neko-hybrid didn't even look up when Erwin sat on the sofa too. The small gains in trust he was getting filled Erwin with hope.

When the Neko-hybrid had finished eating they made no move to leave. The only thing they did was nudge the damp towel a little until Erwin moved it away, since their fur was dry now, and then settle down comfortably again on the sofa. Erwin smiled, glad they weren't rushing out into the rain again. "You're welcome to stay the night or until the rain's stopped if you like." he offered. He got the stare he expected in return, and turned towards the TV.

"Do you want to watch a film?" he asked, not really sure what else to do. He'd talked about most things he could think of and he didn't want it to get awkward and have the cat leave because of that. He put on an action film and they sat in silence to watch. The cat's eyes stayed on the screen, but they shuffle a few times into different comfortable positions. Erwin got up part way through to make his own dinner but left the film playing and ended up sharing a little of his dinner too when he noticed eyes watching him. He’d intended to give some away anyway but even if he hadn't he wouldn't have been able to resist those cute eyes. Apparently the Neko-hybrid had a look they knew how to use to get what they wanted too, but this was the first time Erwin had seen it. He wondered if the Neko-hybrid knew.

Erwin watched the news after the film then put another film on out of lack of anything else to suggest. The Neko-hybrid hadn't made a move towards the door yet so Erwin wasn't too worried. When it started getting late, Erwin got ready for bed. He assured the silent cat that they were welcome to stay the night and brought out blankets for them to sleep on or under, depending on what they wanted. He even told them what time he'd be up in case they wanted breakfast, or to leave before then, or to shift back to cat form by then if they didn't sleep in that form.

Erwin went to bed, comfortable in the knowledge that he'd helped someone today and fully trusting that his belongings (although maybe not his food) would still be there tomorrow.

~

When Erwin came into the lounge the following morning he stopped suddenly. He was half expecting to find a cat staring at him and half expecting to find nothing at all. He wasn't expecting to find a young man sat on his sofa reading one of his books. The young man looked up as Erwin stared, and had the look of someone who was very nervous but was trying to hide it behind a façade of confidence.

"…Good morning" Erwin managed to say after a moment of stunned staring. He hadn't meant to stare, but he honestly hadn't thought he'd gained _that_ much trust from the man yet. "Have you had breakfast?" he asked, recovering and heading towards the kitchen area to make himself some toast and something else for the man if he wanted it.

"Morning" he heard the small reply and felt his heart swell. There was so much trust placed in him in this situation and it warmed him. He tried not to think about how handsome the man on his sofa was. This was not the time for that. He knew the cat was beautiful so it shouldn't really be that surprising that his human form was too, but it was hard to judge based on fur and cat eyes.

He was about to repeat his question about breakfast when he noticed a plate and knife in the drying rack that hadn't been there last night. His guest had already eaten and even cleaned up after himself. "What are you reading?" Erwin asked instead as he waited for his toast and the kettle. He turned and leant against the kitchen counter as he hoped for a reply.

The young man was watching him but still had the book open in his hands. He was sat with his back against the arm of the sofa and his feet up on the cushions. He was wearing a white shirt, jeans and socks that Erwin knew belonged to him and had been left in the tumble dryer. They were all too big for his guest but that didn't really matter. Erwin had completely forgotten to think about clothing and how the guest wouldn't have any on him in his cat form. He should've offered some last night.

There was quite a contrast in the silent stares and lack of other responses he got from the young man, and the confidence it took to enter a near-strangers house, shower in his apartment, borrow clothes and food (without asking, not that that was a problem in Erwin's mind considering the situation), and sit with his feet on his sofa in his human form. Apparently he wasn't going to get an answer about the book, but he figured the other was probably more focused on assessing Erwin, seeing as his eyes never left him. "May I know your name?" Erwin asked, hoping to at least get an answer for this question. He didn't like not having something to refer to the other by.

"Levi." The man replied and Erwin almost beamed at him.

"I'm Erwin Smith." he replied and got a raised eyebrow in return that seemed to match the feeling he'd got when he thought the cat had been judging him as an idiot when he'd let him into the building last night.

"Yeah, I know." Levi replied, watching Erwin for another moment before putting the book down on the coffee table and moving to sit properly with his feet on the floor. Erwin had told him his name a while ago when he'd been chatting on the bench. It had seemed like the thing to say right now though, so he’d repeated it.

"Did you sleep okay?" Erwin asked, unable to resist asking questions when he wanted to know if Levi was okay and now he knew there was the possibility of getting a reply. He turned and started buttering his toast and making his tea when it was ready.

"I slept fine." Levi replied in a bit of a rush before adding "I noticed you have some peppermint tea."

It took a moment for Erwin to realise what he meant before he remembered there was an unopened box of mint tea at the top of one of his cupboards. He'd been given it as a present but he didn't really drink but tea, let alone mint tea, so hadn't had any. He was surprised that Levi had looked in his cupboards that well, especially as it was pretty high up and Levi didn't look very tall. He wondered if he was mentioning it because he wanted some but thought he better ask first or just because he couldn't reach it.

"Would you like some?" Erwin asked as he reached up and took the box. He unwrapped it without waiting for a reply. Luckily, it came in tea bags because he was pretty sure he didn't have an infuser or strainer around. He popped a bag in a mug along with a spoon and poured in the water. He brought that over to Levi before bringing over his own breakfast.

Erwin sat down next to Levi, who was now holding the mug in his hands, eyes closed and breathing in the scent. He looked fairly calm like that and Erwin couldn't help but compare that to the dripping scared cat hiding under the bench last night.

"Is that your favourite tea?" Erwin asked after swallowing some toast. Levi opened his eyes and looked at him. Erwin thought he wasn't going to answer again but was pleasantly surprise when Levi spoke.

"I like a lot of tea. Mint's always refreshing though." Levi replied, looking genuinely interested. Erwin nodded and made a mental note of the information. So far he knew his name, species and that he liked tea. Oh, and he had no problem rummaging through people's stuff.

"Do you have somewhere safe to go?" Erwin finally asked, after a few more minutes of small talk and he'd finished his breakfast.

Levi looked at him, that wary look back in his eyes. "Does it matter?"

Erwin frowned at that. "Of course it matters. I want to know you're safe."

"Then I'm safe." Levi replied, turning his head away from Erwin and back to the tea, finishing the last of it. Erwin wasn't sure he believed that.

"Is that that truth? I meant it when I said I could help you find somewhere. You don't need to be alone." Erwin stayed looking at Levi, not going to let the subject drop.

"I'm fine. People like fluffy cats. I get more food given to me than the other strays." Levi's voice sounded like he didn't care but Erwin couldn't imagine that would be true. Being on the street was never going to be easy or something someone could be indifferent to.

"That's not the same as not being alone or having somewhere safe to stay. I looked it up, there's a Neko-hybrid community somewhere in the city. They won't give me details because I'm human but they'll talk to you."

"I can't go there" Levi replied immediately, sounding slightly angry.

Erwin was surprised. What was stopping him? "Do you mind if I ask why?" Erwin asked, trying to clarify. If it was something like he was scared of the thought then they could work on that.

"I came from there." Levi replied before getting up and wandering over to the window, looking out at the street below with his back turned to Erwin. It was hard to read him like that. Something must have happened there for him to have to leave. Humans and animals often had fights that led to them being separated from their 'group', it must happen to Neko-hybrids too.

"Alright." he wasn't going to push that. "How about a different one? There must be others in nearby cities, just until you get settled and find your own way. If that's what you want."

"I'm not leaving. I'll be fine. I've survived no problem so far." Levi snapped back.

Erwin stayed silent for a moment. He had no idea how long Levi had been on the street for. He’d only spotted him last week. "How about one of the human ones I volunteer with then? I can vouch for how good they are."

"No. I'm fine. Thank you for letting me stay." Levi turned and started walking towards the front door. Erwin instinctively stood to try and stop him Levi from leaving but pulled himself back. The slight fear and anger in Levi's eyes made him remember his promise that he'd let Levi leave whenever he wanted.

Erwin stayed standing but didn't move to stop Levi. "Come back later. I'll have food for you every day at the bench at four until I know you don't need it anymore."

Levi didn't reply, just opened the door. Erwin said nothing of his clothes that Levi was still wearing. He was hardly going to demand those from him now. Those were his favourite jeans but he could afford new ones while Levi couldn't. Plus, he wasn't going to force him to go naked or in cat form if he didn't want to. "I'll see you at four." Erwin repeated as Levi shut the door.

Erwin felt his stomach twist with worry as Levi left. He wanted so much to stop him but Levi had only come inside after he'd promised he'd let him leave at any time. He'd lose all the trust he'd gained if he broke his word. He just hoped that Levi really would come back. Erwin wasn't going to give up on him. He didn't give up on anyone. 


	3. Chapter 3

Four pm that same day, it was raining again. Erwin had got to the bench early, in case Levi wanted to come in from the rain, but an hour later he was freezing, shivering, and still alone. Levi hadn't come. Erwin decided to leave the bag under the bench, just in case, before heading back inside to warm himself up. There was a horrible feeling of dread in his stomach but he tried to shake it off, trying to tell himself to stay positive and that Levi was okay.

The next day at four, Levi didn't turn up again. Erwin's concern grew and it only got worse as he didn't show up the day after that either. He was seriously considering giving the description of Levi's human appearance to some of the people who visited the shelters in case they saw him on the streets, but he had a feeling Levi wouldn’t like that and he was probably hiding in cat form anyway. Maybe a family had taken him in as a pet.

It was 6 days later when Erwin came home from work around 1pm. His father had left him enough money to live on when he'd passed away last year, but Erwin was never the type to take things easy, so he did part-time early shifts at a local company. He wanted to work and did what he could while using the rest of his time to volunteer. He knew he had things far, far easier than most and he wanted to use his time wisely and for the best. When he got close to his building his mind was full of thoughts about what to cook for the shelter he was planning to visit later, but those thoughts were wiped from his mind when he recognised the man sitting on the bench outside, bent over and looking far from well.

"Levi?" Erwin rushed over and didn't hide the concern in voice. He only felt worse when Levi looked up and didn't have the light or fight he'd seen before in Levi's eyes. He was unhealthily pale and his eyes were slightly unfocused. "Levi. Come inside." It wasn't a question this time, and Levi didn't put up any fight. He simply got up and walked to the front door of the building and followed Erwin inside.

"What happened?" Erwin asked when they were in the elevator. Levi didn't look great but he didn't look too ill or injured either. However, something was very obviously wrong. Levi didn't say anything even once they were inside Erwin's apartment. He headed straight towards the bathroom and Erwin followed. Levi didn't seem to care as he immediately pulled off his shirt, the same one he'd taken from Erwin before, and then Erwin knew what was wrong. Levi had a few bruises on his back and chest but the main problems were the gashes in his side. Levi started looking through Erwin's cupboard, presumably for something to clean the wounds with.

Erwin intervened and grabbed the bottle of disinfectant and made up the diluted mix as recommended. He grabbed a clean towel and dipped it in the mix. “Sit. I'll do it, I can see it easier than you." He waited for permission, knowing better than to start trying to touch him before Levi was ready. It would be hard for Levi to properly clean the wound at that position.

Levi looked angrily at him for a moment before he sat on the edge of the bath. Erwin brought the mixture over and started cleaning the wounds, ignoring Levi's hiss. It must be painful and the disinfectant must be stinging but it needed to be done, and Levi must have known that since he'd no doubt come here for this purpose.

"How did this happen?" Erwin asked, wanting to know more and if he needed to take him to hospital or even the police. He was worried that Levi might have the beginnings of a fever from the way he looked slightly out of focus, but then again having a painful slashes in your side and someone putting stinging liquid on it tended to distract people rather too.

"Fight." Levi replied, not offering up any more information.

"Do I need to take you to the police to report it?" Erwin asked and held Levi's angry gaze when it was turned back on him.

"No. I just ran into some people from the... that community. They weren't too keen on seeing me. I won the fight but I couldn’t get this clean enough."

"I should probably take you to a hospital." Erwin changed route, figuring pushing the police idea wasn't going to get anywhere. He got a glare for that response too. "They can make sure there's nothing stuck in these."

"There's nothing in them. I checked them. It's just hard to keep them really clean on the streets, that's all.” Erwin could imagine it was hard to keep injuries clean on your own on the streets at the best of times but when it was raining almost constantly too it must be near impossible.

"You should stay here.” Levi dodged Erwin’s hand as it came up towards his forehead. He didn’t get close enough to check. “You might have the beginnings of a fever and you can't go out with your side like this. You can stay as long as you like." To Erwin's surprise, Levi didn't put up a fight. Considering how hesitant he'd been last week, the injury had to be bad for him to not disagree. Erwin wasn't sure if that was better or worse.

“I don’t have a fever.” Levi replied, but made no move to leave or resist staying.

“You’re pale, out of focus, and won’t let me check.”

“If I’m out of focus then you need glasses, old man. I’m fine. I’m just cold and missing parts of my side. I don’t need you fondling my forehead too.”

Erwin wasn’t sure what to say. Being cold would explain why he was so pale, and he’d already considered that the pain was disrupting his focus. He’d let it be for now, not wanting Levi to run off, but if it got worse he would bring up the hospital or a doctor again. He wasn’t sure how he would explain this to a doctor though.

"What did they attack you with?" Erwin asked after Levi had lapsed back into silence. He couldn’t work out what had made those wounds. It was too rough to be a knife but it was too big an area for there not to have been some kind of weapon.

"Claws.” Levi replied, looking down at Erwin's hand working, applying dressings to the wounds.

Erwin looked surprised for a moment before realising he must mean claws formed on the ends of human fingers. There was no way a normal cat's claws could do this. Then again, maybe the Neko-hybrids’ ‘true’ form had claws. Who knew?

Erwin finished covering the wounds and moved to wash his hands. "Would you like some clean clothes?" he offered before heading to his bedroom when Levi nodded.

When he came back with a new shirt and trousers he handed them over. "I'll wait in the lounge." he added before leaving to let Levi change in peace.

Levi joined him on the sofa not much later. Erwin had so many questions he still wanted to ask but he didn’t know where to start and he didn't want to pressure the already injured and no doubt stressed man next to him.

"Would you like some more of that mint tea?" Erwin offered, deciding that seemed a fair enough place to start. He smiled when Levi nodded and got up to make it. Levi had already agreed to stay, so Erwin figured it was okay to ask a few questions.

He looked over Levi a little as he waited for the kettle and wasn't put off when Levi met his gaze. "How old are you?" he asked, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"24." Levi replied. Apparently short answers were okay. Erwin still hoped he'd be able to get him to chat more the longer he stayed.

He was older than Erwin thought. His height and young looks made him seem like a teenager. He was still younger than Erwin though. "I'm 30." he replied, pouring the water over the teabag. He popped a spoon into the mug and carried it over to Levi.

"Thank you." Erwin was a little surprised to hear that and it took him a moment to realise why. It was the first time he'd heard it from the other. It hadn't seemed out of place until now.

Levi wasn't especially polite but he wasn't particularly rude really either. Erwin knew stealing his food and going through and using his stuff without his permission was at the very least, very rude, but he didn't think he really cared. He was just glad that Levi wasn’t scared of him or desperate to leave. He'd taken quite a shine to him and he didn't want Levi to go sooner than he had to.

They ended up watching some TV until it was time for dinner. Erwin got up to start cooking while Levi stayed on the sofa. Erwin instinctively started making enough for two and Levi looked like he wanted to do something but didn't want to get in the way.

"Just stay there and relax." Erwin said with a smile. "You need to rest that side of yours."

Levi looked a little annoyed but stayed there anyway. After a moment he got up and went over to Erwin's bookshelf. Erwin watched as Levi looked through it with the eyes of someone who knew what he was looking for. A moment later he picked up a book and went back to the sofa, sitting against the arm and bringing his feet up onto the cushions. The position reminded Erwin of how he'd first seen Levi in his human form and he soon realised he recognised the book too; it was the same one he'd been reading that morning.

Erwin left him to read in peace while he cooked. It felt strangely comfortable having him here. He still didn't really know him all that well but he felt like it was okay. When he'd finished cooking, he picked up one plate to bring it over and was a little surprised to find Levi next to him, picking up the other and the drinks. "Thank you." Erwin said, grateful that he wouldn't have to make multiple trips.

They sat and ate with the TV on, not really speaking other than Levi quietly complimenting the food and bringing another smile to Erwin's face. After dinner, Levi got up first, collecting the plates and heading to the sink.

"You don't have to do that, you're my g-"

"You cooked, I'll clean. Cleaning's my specialty." Levi’s reply cut Erwin off before he could finish. Erwin decided not to fight and let Levi start.

"I have a dishwasher." Erwin said as Levi started hand washing the plates.

"I'm not touching it, unless you want me to clean that too." Erwin blinked at the reply.

"You like cleaning then?"

"I do a lot of it." Erwin wasn't sure if that was the same thing as enjoying it.

Once Levi was done, he came back to the sofa.

"Are you going to tell me what really happened?" Erwin asked, feeling like they'd broken down some sort of barrier and that now was the time to ask before it could go back up again.

"I'll tell you if you tell me what happened to your arm." Levi replied bluntly. Erwin had noticed that Levi was a contrasting mixture of nerves and confidence. He was nervous at times when most others would be, like entering a strangers house, especially when the last time you'd seen them they'd basically kidnapped you, but when he was relaxed he exuded confidence and Erwin couldn't help but think that it reminded him of domestic cast; nervous at the start but quickly coming to own the place.

"You have a deal." Erwin replied. He had no shame or embarrassment concerning his arm and he liked that Levi wasn't trying to dodge the subject or fret over it. He was just asking for what was probably an equivalent exchange.

Levi eyed him up for a moment, as if judging the truth of Erwin’s reply. "Fine." He replied, before turning to face Erwin on the sofa, pulling his legs up and crossing them in front of him. "I ran into a group from my old community. They weren't too keen to see me still hanging around here after they kicked me out and they'd always had violent tendencies.”

“So they started a fight?”

“Yeah.” Levi rolled his eyes. "Neko-hybrid's have idiots too, just like humans."

“Why did they kick you out?”

Levi watched him, looking a little angry at the question. Erwin was curious if Levi would answer and if he did, what the answer would be, so he didn’t withdraw the question. "I used to go around with some friends but one of them got ill. I didn't know the right medicine to steal so we searched for a community to help. We ended up at the one near here. They gave him what medicine they had but it didn't really help. He just got worse. I overheard what they said they really needed though, so I broke into a hospital to grab some." Erwin was surprised by how easily Levi talked about his crimes. Then again, if he hadn't been able to find a home and a job, he hadn't really been left with much choice. "I got caught. Almost. They had better security than I was used to and I had to run before they grabbed me. The police never found me but the community worked out what I'd done. People are still struggling to accept us around here, so they didn't want a 'troublemaker' bringing a bad reputation on them."

"They kicked you out for that?” Erwin was surprised. One mistake shouldn't be enough to warrant banishment.

Levi nodded. "Yeah. They're flighty idiots. I don't think all communities are like that, this one just has useless leaders. They gave the medicine to my friend anyway but they'd already kicked me out before he got better and last I heard, they'd kicked them both out too. I don't know where they are. I don't know if they're in the city somewhere or they've gone to another community somewhere. I'm not leaving while they might still be around here."

' _So that's why Levi refused to leave the streets and go to another community._ ' Erwin thought. It made a lot of sense. It hadn't escaped his notice that Levi hadn't given him their names, but he could understand him still being a little wary. "I'm sorry Levi. I do hope you find your friends. If you ever want any help looking for them, I'll do what I can." Erwin thought he was beginning to understand Levi a little, and he seemed the type that didn't respond well to forceful pushing or overbearing offers. Gentle reminders that help was there if needed and he could take his own time to decide when and what he wanted seemed like a better route.

"Whatever. I'll find them. I won't lose to those assholes again either. They got lucky." Erwin had no idea if Levi was any good at fighting or if he was lying to make himself feel or seem better. He wasn't going to comment on it either way. "Your turn." Levi added, looking Erwin dead in the eyes.

Erwin nodded and fought back the urge to question his ‘loss’. Earlier, he’d said he’d won. The first was probably a lie to appease him. Erwin was a little disappointed but decided to let it go. He knew the truth now. He instinctively rolled his right shoulder as he thought how to start on his tale.

"It was about a year ago. I was driving home from work and got stopped at a red light. It was fairly late and dark since it was winter. This was at my previous company where I often had to visit factories outside the city and I'd been at one of those. I can't remember why but I'd rolled down my window for some reason, something minor I imagine, all I remember then was a scream. I could tell it was a real one. No one sounds like that when they're just messing about. I got out of the car and rushed in the direction I thought I'd heard it from. There was another soon after and I found myself in an alley punching a man in the neck. I didn't realise he had a knife until it was embedded in my arm. Most of it's a blur really, I just knew I wasn't going to let this man hurt her. Unfortunately, I hadn't realised that he wasn't alone. The girl managed to run away before they could grab her. I later found out she actually went and got help. We were in a fairly deserted area but she kept running until she found somewhere and got them to call the police for her and me. I must have gotten knocked out because the next thing I remember was waking up in hospital. They'd wanted to murder that girl and when I'd stopped them they'd taken it out on me. I almost died but the surgeons managed to save me. They couldn't save my arm though, the men had done more than just shove a knife in it. I see it as a decent price to pay to save her life and keep mine too. They even caught the men and they're in prison now." Erwin had been so caught up in his story that he hadn't realised that Levi's face had gone from a confident stare to a stunned expression. Apparently he hadn't been expecting anything like that.

"Holy shit." Levi said. Erwin was about to try and say something light-hearted to lighten the mood but Levi spoke again. "What is up with you? Why are you so into helping people? I'm not saying you shouldn't have helped her, but even after that happened you still go out of your way to help people and even take strangers into your home after they've robbed you?"

"You only took some food, Levi." Erwin said, not looking at all put off. "I would have given it to you if you'd asked, but I understand why you didn't."

Levi stared at Erwin with that expression that said he was an idiot again. "You shouldn't be so forgiving of someone stealing from you. Thank you for... not doing anything about it though."

"Of course, and I'm glad you came back."

Levi shrugged. "I was hungry. Thought you might be stupid enough to feed me again. I was right."

Erwin laughed softly at that. "You were definitely right about that. I'm not sure how you'd think I could ever resist such a cute fluffy cat though." Erwin froze after speaking. Was that over the line? Should he not have said that? Levi was watching him and Erwin was worried that he'd insulted him. After a moment of silence Levi finally responded, moving to swing his feet back onto the floor and resting his arms on the back of the sofa, leaning his head back on it.

"You're not the only one. That's why I do okay. I usually get enough scraps if I meow at enough doors."

"So that's how you get food?" That was not enough. It certainly explained why he was so thin. However, there's a difference between being thin and healthy and being thin because you're not getting enough food regularly.

"It works."

"Do you go to shelters?" Erwin had a feeling he already knew the answer, but he asked anyway.

"No. I'm fine on my own."

"There's no shame in going to shelters, and they don't ask questions. You'd be safe."

"I'm fine." Levi repeated, sounding like he was done with this conversation.

"Levi..." There was more Erwin wanted to say but Levi was definitely done.

"I'm tired." he cut Erwin off. "I'm sleeping on here, right? Get off my bed."

Erwin hesitated for a moment before getting up. "Of course. Let me get you some blankets." He left Levi on the sofa and went to his room, grabbing some blankets and a pillow and bringing them in. When he came back into the lounge, Levi had taken off his trousers and was just wearing Erwin's shirt and underwear. He gave Erwin a look, part glare, part curiosity, as Erwin stared for a moment before snapping out of it.

"Here." Erwin handed over the blankets. "Is there anything else you need?"

"No." Levi spread one blanket over the couch and left the other folded on the arm. He was aware that Erwin was still waiting. "I'm done. You can go." He gave Erwin a look over then sighed. "Please tell me you're not one of those Neko-fetishists. They're just my legs, calm down. I'll kick your ass if you try anything."

Erwin's eyes widened at that. "Oh! No. Not at all. I'm sorry, I was..." What exactly? He had been distracted by the appearance of so much skin. He certainly didn't have any Neko-hybrid fetish but that didn’t mean he couldn’t find Levi attractive as a person. Then again, he really shouldn’t be thinking about his guest his such a way. He forced the thoughts from his mind. "I'm just glad you're comfortable here. Sleep well. I'll be up at 8."

Erwin heard Levi go into the bathroom while Erwin changed in his room. After he'd washed up too, he went to bed and tried not to think about Levi's legs or his words. He hoped he hadn't scared Levi off and he'd still be there in the morning. He tried to keep his thoughts clean as he closed his eyes. Levi did look very good in nothing but Erwin's too big shirt and underwear though...


	4. Chapter 4

Erwin dreamt of scarred skin and a rough mouth. He tried to force himself not to put a name and face to the body he'd dreamt about as he got up, but there was no doubt about who the ‘mystery’ figure was. Naming him was just asking for trouble and he needed to focus on _helping_ instead.

Once he was fully dressed, Erwin went into the hallway. He tried not to rush into the lounge to see if Levi was there and forced himself to go through his usual morning routine in the bathroom first. When he was done, he headed into the lounge and felt panic rise in him when he saw the blankets and clothes Levi had borrowed folded neatly on the sofa but no sign of Levi still being there. He must have left in the night.

Erwin was disappointed but couldn't be too surprised. It wasn't like it was the first time this had happened. Erwin had really hoped Levi would stay though, if only for the sake of his injury. He frowned and paused when he realised the clothes being there was weird. He hadn't left any in the dryer like last time, so Levi couldn't have grabbed others, not unless he'd snuck into Erwin's room while he was asleep. Surely he wouldn't have left naked? Unless he'd left as a cat.

Erwin started making breakfast, knowing there was nothing else he could do. He had no idea where Levi went to when he wasn't at his building, so he couldn’t go looking for him. Plus, Levi leaving meant he probably didn’t want to be around Erwin anyway. It might be creepy to go after him. Erwin tried to push his disappointment and worry out of his mind for a few minutes as he made his coffee and toast and headed to the sofa to eat.

When he sat down, he finally spotted the black lump on his floor by the window. The curtains were partly open and right in the middle of the patch of sunlight on the floor, was a sprawled out sleeping black cat.

Erwin felt a burst of relief rush through him and he almost stood up again in his joy. Levi had stayed after all. He hadn’t run off and was instead just… being very much a cat. Erwin’s bright smile dropped into a more normal one when one of the cat's eyes opened and looked right at him.

"Good morning." Erwin greeted, hoping Levi had no idea of Erwin’s panicked conclusions and eventual relief. He was pretty sure Levi would give him one of his ‘moron’ looks again. Levi closed his eye again and rolled over, stretching out further, exposing his stomach along the way. Erwin knew that cats only exposed their underside when they were comfortable and safe, so that was a pleasant bonus. Apparently the trait of cats enjoying resting in the sun applied to Neko-hybrid's too. Then again, humans loved sunbathing and it did make sense to make the most of the sun between all of the rain.  

"Help yourself to breakfast if you haven't already." Erwin spoke again, assuming Levi would anyway. He didn't seem nervous about getting food and making himself comfortable.

Levi lay there in the sun while Erwin ate, not showing any interest in him or moving until the toast was finished and Erwin sat back to focus on his coffee. Then, Levi rolled over and got up, wandering behind the sofa. Erwin didn't turn, letting Levi do whatever he wanted. He wasn't really sure what he was doing until Levi walked back in, in human form and in another set of Erwin's clothes. Levi definitely had no problem helping himself. Erwin wondered if he should have a problem with it but he didn't. He felt comfortable with the whole situation, like this was perfectly normal. He was just glad that Levi was comfortable enough to do all of this and stay.

"The weather's better today." Levi commented as he sat next to Erwin. It could have been an innocuous statement but the atmosphere shifted slightly. The rain was part of why Levi's injury had gotten infected in the first place and why Erwin had wanted him to stay. If it stayed sunny and dry like this, Levi had less of a reason to stay.

"I'm not sure it'll last though." Erwin replied. Would it be too much to say more? To specifically say Levi should stay? Then again, it wasn't like he wanted Levi to stay inside the whole time. This wasn't a prison. He just wanted to make sure he ate okay and had somewhere safe, preferably his apartment, to stay and sleep in.

"How are you feeling today?" he asked instead, looking at Levi to check over him. He looked quite a bit better than yesterday already. If a fever had been starting, they must have nipped it in the bud early enough. It was good news.

"Better." Levi replied. "I changed the dressing."

Erwin nodded in reply. He guessed that must have been what Levi was doing a moment ago, as well as getting dressed. The wound dressings wouldn’t have stayed on when he was cat, so he must have replaced them now. Erwin was a little worried about Levi wandering around as a cat with nothing covering the wounds but he didn’t think telling Levi that was going to help now. "Good. As I said before, you're welcome to stay here as long as you like. I'd like you to at least stay until the infection's gone." He couldn’t stop himself completely.

Levi gave him a look that Erwin couldn't quite read. He knew he was suggesting Levi stay even after the infection's gone and he assumed Levi had probably read that too. He wasn't sure what Levi thought of the offer though.

"I need to keep it clean." Levi replied. It was a vague enough response that Erwin couldn't really glean much from it.

"Speaking of that, are you sure there's no way I could get you to see a doctor? Antibiotics will help it heal faster and should stop it coming back." He didn’t feel comfortable letting such an injury go without seeing a doctor, so he couldn’t stop himself bringing it up after all. Then again, the doctors wouldn’t know much about hybrid biology so for all he knew, seeing one really could make it worse. Apparently the hybrid communities did know some human medicine that worked, since some had worked for Levi’s friend, but that didn’t mean all of it would. For all he and human doctors knew, hybrids might have serious side-effects from some antibiotics.

"No." Levi didn’t offer any further response so Erwin nodded. Levi really did look better today, and he knew much more about his body that Erwin did, so he’d have to trust him.

"Okay. Well, if you know what ingredients are okay for you, I can see if I can get some over the counter antibiotic healing cream on my way back from work today." He hoped Levi would still be here when he got back.

"When do you finish work?" Levi asked. Erwin had forgotten to mention it last night... or he'd purposefully not mentioned it because he thought it might make Levi disappear earlier.

"1pm. Same as yesterday. I'm not going to tell you I want you to stay in here all day. It would be better for you to rest in here rather than outside, but you're free to do as you want. However, I only have one key so if you do go out you won't be able to get back in until I'm home."

"You mean you don't have a cat flap?"

The tone was mocking but not angry. Erwin just smiled in reply. "I need to leave soon. Is there anything else you want to know?"

"What makes you think I'll be here when you get back?" Levi was watching Erwin with careful eyes. Erwin could tell this was a test, disguised as another tease.

"I hope you will be." He said before heading towards the door. "Otherwise I'll be buying cat toys for nothing."

Erwin didn't wait to see Levi's reaction, he just hoped it was a good one and shut the door.

He tried not to repeat 'please be there when I get back' in his head too much as he walked

 

~

Erwin finished work on time and headed home. It was only just hitting him that this situation with Levi was the first in a long time where he’d come home knowing someone might be waiting for him. His heart started beating faster as he reached the entrance to his building and there was no sign of Levi. Since he was waiting outside, that probably meant he either hadn’t left or he hadn’t come back. Erwin’s heart kept up the pace as when he got out of the lift and saw no sign of Levi at his front door either. When he got inside and didn't see any sign of Levi in his lounge, it started beating in overdrive. He had really left? Was he coming back? Was he gone for good? He needed to stop worrying like this. Levi had looked a lot better today and he could handle himself. That didn’t mean he had to handle it alone though. Erwin had enjoyed having him there. It occurred to Erwin then that he was jumping to conclusions again, just like that morning, and Levi could very well be curled up somewhere having a cat nap.

Erwin put his bag down next to the coffee table as usual, ready to have a quick look around his apartment, then paused. Something felt slightly off. It took him a moment before he realised. Everything had been cleaned. He could smell the lemon scent from his kitchen cleaner and everything looked slightly more well-arranged than it had yesterday. Once he'd noticed, it was easy to spot that everything had been dusted too and the floor had been vacuumed.

Erwin walked down his hallway, taking in how nice everything looked. Erwin was reasonably clean and tidy, but this was immaculate. He stopped at the open bathroom door. Levi was standing in his shower, in Erwin’s shirt and shorts, cleaning all the tiles. Levi turned to look at him standing in the doorway for a moment before continuing with his scrubbing. Erwin couldn't help thinking he looked kind of cute with handkerchiefs over his mouth and hair. Erwin had forgotten he even had those. They’d been a Christmas present, but he wasn’t really a handkerchief person. He much preferred disposable tissues.

"Hello." Erwin said, sounding a little dumbstruck. After his panic that Levi had left, he certainly hadn't expected to find him like this.

"I'm nearly done here. I haven't done your bedroom yet though." Levi replied, not looking away from his work.

"Why are you cleaning? You should be relaxing." Erwin appreciated how spotless the bathroom now was but this wasn’t what he’d hoped Levi would be doing. All this stretching and bending wouldn’t rest his injuries.

"I am. Cleaning is relaxing."

' _He really does like cleaning..._ ' Erwin thought. Where did Levi live the rest of the time? How did he keep this clean on the streets? It gave him an idea.

"There are always a lot of places that are looking to hire cleaners, if you were interested." Erwin broached, attempting to do so carefully. It was true and cleaning paid fairly well too in a lot of places. Levi could make enough to live on from it.

"No.” Levi snapped, giving Erwin a look that was a mixture of anger and fear. That was not the reaction Erwin had expected.

"Do you mind if I ask why? It pays well usually."

"Did you get the cream?" Levi ignored the question and didn't even look at Erwin.

"Of course. Do you want to put some on now?" He'd left the bag on the sofa but it was easy enough to go get it.

"When I'm done with this."

“Do you want some help?” Erwin offered. He felt bad that his guest had gone through all this trouble.

“No. You’ll get in the way.”

Erwin considered continuing the conversation, trying to work out if there was something more to this and offer his help again, but decided to leave it. Levi was giving short snappy answers and didn’t seem interested in conversation or Erwin’s help, so it was probably best to get out of his way.

“You don’t need to do the bedroom, leave that to me.” He couldn’t stop Levi finishing the bathroom but hopefully he could stop him doing more than he had to.

Half an hour later, Erwin was reading on the sofa and Levi had finished the bathroom and had a quick shower. He didn’t do the bedroom. He walked into the lounge in different pair of trousers and another of Erwin's shirts, which he'd left unbuttoned. His hair was damp and Erwin felt unclean thoughts rising up again. Levi wouldn’t be happy with those. He focused on holding up the cream instead.

"Looking for this?"

Levi looked at the tube then nodded. "That's it?" He took it and read over the leaflet before nodding with satisfaction. Then he pulled off the shirt so he didn't get any of the cream on it. Erwin watched as Levi started undoing the dressings over his wounds, knowing he wouldn't be able to reach it all. He got up and moved to Levi's side, bending down and silently waiting for permission before starting to remove the ones there. Levi stared at him for a moment before turning slightly to make it easier for Erwin to help and continuing on. Erwin understood that as approval.

"You really do like helping with everything." Levi commented once the dressings were removed. Erwin looked up to see Levi watching him with a raised eyebrow.

"Isn't it easier if I help?"

"Yeah. And you get to put your hands all over me, right?" Levi turned his attention back to the cream and started putting some gently on the wounds. Erwin didn't know how to respond. Was Levi just generally teasing or did he know? Erwin had a horrible thought that maybe he'd said something while dreaming last night but... he never talked in his sleep as far as he knew.

"I'm just helping." Erwin replied as he took some of the cream and started spreading it on the wounds nearer Levi's back. They had healed much more than he had expected. Perhaps Neko-hybrids really did have some kind of extra healing ability. No wonder he’d been happy to wander about as a cat too. Erwin still thought the injuries should be covered, but they weren’t nearly as bad as yesterday. "I can guarantee treating someone's wounds doesn't turn me on though.” He added, his thoughts returning to the conversation. “I'm not into the doctor and nurse thing either". Erwin was no push over. If Levi was comfortable teasing him, then Erwin would do the same.

"So there aren't any nurse dresses in your closet? How disappointing."

"What makes you think I want to cross-dress too?"

Levi looked highly amused at that response. "I never said anything about you wearing it. That assumption's very interesting though."

Erwin felt like he'd just stumbled into a trap. He couldn't help not caring though. Seeing Levi comfortable enough to play around was a big step and one Erwin wasn't going to ignore. Plus, he found he really enjoyed their playful bickering. He finished putting the cream on Levi's back and handed the tube to him so Levi could finish off his front. He thought about doing Levi's front too and getting Levi to talk and tease him more but he wasn't sure if that was a dangerous or good idea. Apparently Levi had his own ideas.  

The tube was held out in front of Erwin's hand. "The cream feels nasty on my fingers. You do it."

Levi was watching him, a challenge in his eyes. Erwin accepted, took the bottle and resumed his task. He kept looking up at Levi's face as he put cream on. Levi didn't look at Erwin the whole time, feigning interest in something on the other side of the room. Considering this must be stinging, the atmosphere wasn't tense. Once that was done, Erwin put on new dressings then stood up and stretched. Levi finally faced him again as he stretched and gave him an unreadable look before putting his shirt on and buttoning it up.

Erwin had a feeling some kind of boundary had been weakened a little today.


	5. Chapter 5

Levi ended up staying for a few more days. Erwin did come home once to find Levi waiting outside but other than that, he seemed content to stay in the warm comfort of Erwin's apartment. As well as getting more comfortable with the apartment, he was getting more comfortable with Erwin. They talked about a lot more things, although Levi never revealed too much personal information. Erwin did manage to learn the names of Levi's friends though; Isabel and Farlan. He even got a description of their human form. Erwin had made a mental note of the way Levi's eyes lit up slightly when he talked about them. Just talking about them made him happy, providing the topic wasn't an unhappy one.

The teasing got bolder too. Erwin was pretty sure he'd been accused of every fetish he knew about and several he'd never heard of before. He'd also gotten used to having creative insults hurled at him nonchalantly. He'd come to understand that Levi had a rather crude way of talking but he never seemed to mean any actual insult except for one time when Erwin had accidentally stepped over the line. He'd learn that day to just accept that Levi would be cleaning everything even if Erwin thought he'd done so already. It was a sensitive topic that shouldn't be probed without the utmost caution and Erwin, of course, was going to respect that.

He'd also gotten used to Levi leaving the lounge and coming back in a different form. Erwin knew Neko-hybrid's could switch between human and cat with ease, except for the issue of clothing, but he also knew they could stay as a mix of the two. He was curious about if Levi ever did that. Part of him wanted to ask but another part knew that would definitely end up with fetish accusations being hurled at him again and that wasn't what he meant at all. He didn't want it to be misinterpreted. He was in no way fetishising Levi's species. He was just curious. Plus, he didn’t need Levi to have cat ears and a tail on his human form to be attracted to him.

He couldn't deny that he was developing feelings for his temporary flatmate. It was wonderful coming home to someone who made him happy, even if it wasn't the typical warm and friendly 'welcome home' most people wanted. One time he’d come home to Levi in cat form on the top of his kitchen cupboards. He had no idea how he'd managed to climb up there but he'd had to lift Levi down. Levi maintained that he was fine up there and he was definitely not stuck, but Erwin just smiled and nodded.

Levi made Erwin happy and he was comfortable around him, and Levi's infection was pretty much gone. Erwin had a sneaking suspicion that Neko-hybrids healed faster than humans. They were just using the rest of the cream to make sure it didn't come back now, so the only reason he really had to stay was because he wanted to, not because he had to for his health.

Erwin wasn't going to bring up anything about him staying or leaving. Not unless Levi mentioned it, which he hadn't so far. They had talked about Erwin helping Levi find his friends though. Erwin was going to pass on their human descriptions (keeping their species private, of course) to people at the shelters, while helping Levi look up shelters in nearby towns and cities. Levi would have to check out the communities himself, since humans were rarely allowed in, but whenever they talked about that, it always involved some subtle mention of Levi returning after.

A week and a half after Levi had turned up outside Erwin's building with his infected injury, he left to go check out a community in the next city over. He'd be gone all day, if not longer. Erwin had given him the money for the train and some for food and other things too. Levi had grumbled but accepted it. He promised to do something in return because “I'm not one of your fucking charity cases” but Erwin waved it off as him helping a friend. It felt strange now for Erwin to come home and know his place would be empty, and it certainly did feel very empty. He'd gotten used to Levi being there very quickly and even before Levi had been staying with him, there had still been the meetings at 4 and before then the hope that he'd find him. He’d been coming home to Levi for a long time now. Even though Levi might be home that night, it still odd knowing he wouldn’t be there when he stepped through the door.

A little after 9pm, the buzzer went, signalling someone was outside the building wanting to be let in. Erwin hurried over to the audio panel and asked who was there, smiling instantly at the sound of Levi’s voice. The smile faded a little as he remembered that Levi being back that day meant he most likely hadn't found his friends, and that was bad, but he was still glad to have Levi back. He buzzed him in and waited by the door of his apartment to let him in. He waited a few seconds after Levi knocked though, not wanting him to know he'd stood by the door like an idiot. Levi wouldn't let that one go.

Levi walked straight over to the kitchen sink after taking off his coat and shoes to wash his hands. He mumbled something about public transport then sat on the sofa.

"How'd it go?" Erwin asked, although he'd already guessed the answer.

"They weren't there." Levi sounded tired and looked ready to curl up and sleep.

"I'm sorry. Maybe they'll be at the next one." Erwin replied, opening one of the kitchen cupboards. "Do you want any tea?" he asked, getting out the blackcurrant and lavender tea when Levi asked for it. Erwin's cupboards had changed since Levi's arrival too. He'd reorganised most things and Erwin had gone and bought him variety box of teas.

Erwin sat next to Levi and handed him the tea. Levi took it and sipped it in silence. "We can start looking for another community tomorrow. Tonight you should rest." He added, wanting Levi to have some comfort after his disappointing day.

Levi nodded but didn't say anything. He was unusually quiet. After a minute of hesitation, Erwin slid closer on the sofa. He wanted to offer more comfort but there wasn't really much he could say that he hadn't already said before. Instead, he gave Levi another quick look over to check his body language wasn't telling him to back off, then put his left arm gently around his back. Levi stiffened for a moment before he relaxed. They stayed like that in the silent lounge for a while, just taking in each other’s comfort and not needing to talk to understand each other. It seemed to have the desired effect as Levi relaxed further and slowly moved closer, until he had his head on Erwin's shoulder and his eyes closed with Erwin's arm around his waist.

Erwin felt joy bloom in his stomach at the sight. He stayed fairly still, not wanting to disturb him or break the moment. They'd come so far in a month already. When Erwin had taken in what he'd thought was an angry stray cat, he had no idea he'd have that same cat as a cute man curled up to him a few weeks later.

Without thinking, he instinctively raised his hand and stroked it through Levi's hair. He paused as Levi shifted a little and thought he was going to pull away but was pleasantly surprised when Levi cuddled closer. Erwin continued, stroking his hair softly. A lot of humans liked having their hair played with, and most cats loved being petted, so he wondered what Neko-hybrids thought of it. Judging by Levi's reaction, he seemed to like it.

After a while Erwin realised Levi had fallen asleep. He'd never actually seen him sleep in human form before; he was always awake and up whenever Erwin came into the lounge in the morning. He kept playing with his hair for a while longer before trying to work out if he could extract himself and lay Levi down to sleep more comfortably without waking him. He had no idea if he was a light or heavy sleeper either.

As much as Erwin quite liked the idea of falling asleep with Levi, he didn't think it was the best thing to do right now. He started trying to quietly and gently move so he could lower Levi's head onto a cushion and slip away, but he was about half way when Levi's eyes opened and stared at him.

"You could have just asked me to move." Levi said, moving away from Erwin and laying down once Erwin was standing.

"I didn't want to wake you." Erwin replied honestly.

"I'm a light sleeper." Ah, so Erwin hadn't stood a chance of not waking him in the first place.

"I'm sorry."

"Whatever. It's not like I'd expect you to stay here when you have a nice comfy bed to go to." Levi replied, resting his head on the cushion and closing his eyes.

"Is the sofa uncomfortable?" Levi hadn't complained about it even once, so Erwin had assumed he was okay with it. Erwin didn’t have another bed to offer him and he didn’t think Levi would accept his own.

Levi shrugged. "It's comfier than concrete."

Erwin was about to ask if there was something he could do to make it better but Levi cut him off. "It's fine. I don't sleep much anyway."

"Swap with me tonight." Erwin offered. It was worth a shot.

"What?" Levi opened his eyes and looked at him with slight confusion.

"Take my bed, I'll take the sofa."

Levi frowned. "There's no point. The sofa's fine for me.”

Erwin stood still, determined to have the sofa tonight. He should have asked him about it before. Levi was the one that was injured, he should have been comfortable as he healed.

Levi looked annoyed and rolled his eyes at Erwin’s reply. "You won't even _fit_ , you fucking moron. You'll just make yourself ache, all squashed up. Sleep in your goddamn bed."

"I want to make sure you're comfortable."

Levi looked even more frustrated and sat up. "I _am_ and you don't have to hurt yourself to make sure of that. Shit, I'm just grateful to have somewhere warm and safe to stay, okay? I like being here. I like the sofa. Just shut up already and go to your bed."

Erwin stared at him, jaw slightly loose and taking those words in. He liked it here? Erwin had hoped he did and knew Levi must consider it safe if he kept coming back here, especially after the initial unintentional kidnapping, but to hear him say it made it so much more real. Not only that, but he was concerned about Erwin getting hurt by sleeping awkwardly.

Levi was giving him a weird look, as if he Erwin was malfunctioning. "… Erwin?"

He needed to say something. He felt like not picking up on what he'd said now would be an opportunity missed and he couldn't have that. He settled for smiling at Levi. "I like you being here too."

"What?" Levi looked surprised and confused for a second, and then seemed to realise what he'd said and looked irritated with himself. "Oh fuck off. I'm tired and you're annoying. I'm going to sleep."

Levi reached behind him and grabbed the folded blankets. He shuffled so one was beneath him and the other on top of him. "Go to your fucking bed or I'll knock you out and drag you there." He added when Erwin still hadn’t moved

"You think you could knock me out?" Erwin asked. Levi had mentioned before that he was good at fighting when he'd explained how he'd gotten the injuries but Erwin hadn't really known what to think back then. He was more curious now.

"Without a doubt. You may be big but I know what I'm doing." Levi replied, giving Erwin a onceover before closing his eyes and turning over to face the back of the sofa, effectively ending the conversation. He clearly wanted to sleep now.

"I'll let you get some rest then." Erwin replied softly before heading for his own room.


	6. Chapter 6

Erwin dreamt of a warm body cuddled close to him, wrapping him in love and comfort. It was the happiest he had felt in a long, long time. When he woke, he still felt warm and fuzzy for several minutes until he forced himself out of bed and into the cold air.

As usual, Levi was already awake and fed by the time Erwin made it to his own breakfast. The infection in Levi's wounds was gone now and he was healing well. He seemed perfectly comfortable sat on the sofa with Erwin's laptop open on his thighs.

"I found another community." Levi spoke as Erwin started his toast.

Erwin turned to him. "Going to see if your friends are there?"

"Yeah. Tomorrow though." At Erwin's questioning look, Levi continued. "It's a few hours away so I'd probably have to stay overnight."

Erwin nodded at that. He wasn't sure exactly why staying overnight meant Levi didn't want to go today but he wasn't going to question it. Unless, it was because...

"I have the day off today. Would you like to do something? We could go out somewhere?" Erwin asked.

Levi looked like he was thinking it over before nodding. "Sure."

Erwin tried not to appear too overjoyed. "How about a museum? Or the cinema? We could have dinner out too." He suggested, wanting to make the most of this opportunity.  

Levi raised an eyebrow at the ideas. It took Erwin a second before he realised he was essentially asking Levi on a date. Levi watched him for a tense moment before shrugging.

"Whatever you want." Levi answered. Erwin understood that as a yes, at least to the ideas. It wasn’t necessarily a yes for a date.  

"Alright. Let me have a look and see what's on." Erwin held out his hand for the laptop and did some quick searches.

The only museum exhibitions that caught Erwin's attention didn't start until at least next week, so he ditched that idea and searched through cinema listings instead. The only films on that he'd heard were good was an action film and a romantic comedy. He figured action may be the best choice here.

Erwin bought both tickets when they arrived at the cinema and Levi let him take the lead in everything without complaint. He was more interested in looking around the area. Erwin still didn't know much about Levi's life experiences so for all he knew this could be a fairly rare or even completely new experience for him.

"Do you like action films?" Erwin asked as they walked towards the screen their film was being shown in.

"It sounds better than that thing." Levi replied, pointing dismissively at a backlit poster for the romantic comedy. Erwin was relieved he hadn't chosen that.

Once they were inside the screen they quickly found their seats and got settled. Erwin had brought popcorn too, which Levi had given him a strange look for. Erwin desperately wanted to know what was going through Levi's mind and how buying popcorn had earned him an odd look, but he decided not to ask.

They sat through far too many adverts while Levi made sarcastic crude comments about them and made Erwin laugh.

"If you wanted to look at shit you could've just gone a public bathroom instead of paying for this." Levi said as yet another advert started.

"There is a film after all this, I promise. Hopefully it will make up for it."

It didn't.

Erwin enjoyed the film as much as he did any other action film but Levi came out of the cinema angry.

"That was terrible." He started, his posture tense and full of fury.

"Really? It wasn't great but I didn't think it was that bad.” Perhaps Erwin was too lenient but he had thought it was alright. 

"You can tell it was made by some rich assholes who don't care about real people." Levi fumed.

Erwin was surprised by how angry Levi was about this. He started thinking back through the film, trying to work out exactly what cause have caused this, but Levi continued and enlightened him.

"There was no need to kill all those civilians. Did they really have to crush all those cars? Cause all those accidents? There were regular people in all of those cars. Is chasing some bank thieves really more important? Trust rich assholes to put money before innocent lives."

Erwin hadn't thought of that at all but he realised Levi had a point. The chase scene had been extremely long and there had been a very high death count. Police had chased thieves along a crowded highway, while the thieves crushed and blew up cars as they fought them off. If the police had let them go, they probably wouldn’t have been so destructive. Erwin had gotten somewhat used to this sort of thing happening in films but having Levi point it out made him realise that they really had killed dozens, maybe even over a hundred people just for some money that belonged to one rich guy. It was horrifying, even if it was just a film.

Erwin had never had any money trouble, thanks to his parents, whereas Levi had probably never come anywhere close to the financial security Erwin has. It felt like he learned something new every day he was with Levi. He instinctively reached his arm out, wanting to alleviate Levi’s distress.

Levi tensed a little as Erwin’s arm went around his waist but didn't fight it off. "Where now?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Are you hungry? I thought we could go to a restaurant for dinner." Erwin suggested.

"You know I can't pay you back for any of this, right? You rich bastard."

Erwin smiled through the insult. Levi was still upset about the film and it was true that Erwin had money to spare. He would never let people die just so he could save his money though. He'd been buying everything for Levi and he didn't expect anything in return, but it didn't surprise him that Levi wasn't completely comfortable with it. "I don't expect anything in return."

Levi snorted. "Yeah right. Taking me out to dinner and a movie? There's definitely no ulterior motive there." He rolled his eyes and walked a little faster, making Erwin pull his arm back.

"There is no ulterior motive. I just want to see you happy." Erwin replied honestly.

"And that'd make you happy right? Even that's an ulterior motive; using me to make yourself feel good. That's all Neko-hybrids are usually used for by humans anyway. You gonna ply me with loads of alcohol after dinner so you can get me in bed too?" Levi stopped in the middle of the street to snap at Erwin.

"Levi, no. I'd never do that." Erwin was shocked. He wasn't shocked to hear that Neko-hybrid's were often mistreated and used, most people knew that horrible fact, but he was shocked that Levi thought he could be trying to do that. Erwin had thought all those jokes about fetishes were just jokes but perhaps Levi really did think Erwin was after something. Yes, he had started developing feelings for him but he'd never do anything Levi wasn't explicitly okay with. He wasn’t trying to use him. "I don't know if wanting to see you happy counts as an ulterior motive but I swear that's all this is. I'm not trying to use you and I'd never do anything you didn't want to. If you don't want to have dinner out then we can go home and eat there."

"Even if we go to yours you're still using your money to feed me." Levi replied, sounding like he thought Erwin was an idiot for thinking that was any better.

"I have no problem with that. I know I'm very lucky to have the life I do and I want to use what I have to help others." Erwin replied honestly, not caring that they were causing a bit of a scene in the street and people were having to walk around them.

“Why the hell would you want to help me of all people?” Levi replied, his frustration only building.

"What do you mean?" Erwin asked. There seemed like there was something more to what Levi was asking.

"You could have taken anyone in. You volunteer at all those homeless shelters but your apartment isn't full of them. So why let me stay?"

"You won't go to a shelter." Erwin couldn’t say that it was because he drawn to him, so instead he said the first thing that came to mind and immediately regretted it.

"Oh. So if I went to one you wouldn't have to bother with me anymore? Is that why you're helping me look for my friends? You just want me to find a community so I can get out of your way?" Levi was still acting angry but Erwin could see a hint of hurt in his eyes.

"No, that's not it at all. If you went to a shelter I'd still come and see you and help you find your friends. I'd visit you at a community too if I were allowed. If I really wanted you out of my house I could have rented you a hotel room but I didn't. I like having you stay with me."

Levi rolled his eyes. "Right. What do you get out of it? Except wasting money on me."

"I get the pleasure of your company." Erwin replied sincerely.

Levi stared at him like he was an idiot. Erwin was getting very used to receiving that look. It wasn’t going to stop him being himself though. He was being honest about everything, except for his growing feelings. He couldn’t tell Levi about those, it would only make things worse.

"You're so fucking awful. Seriously? You actually just said that?" Levi started walking again, fast.

Erwin quickly followed. "I mean it. I don't see any of the money I spend on you as a waste."

"You sound like a sugar daddy."

Erwin inhaled too fast at Levi’s reply and started coughing. Levi stopped again to look at him with displeasure. "If you die I'm not giving you the kiss of life."

"It’s a good thing I don't need it then." Erwin said when he'd recovered. "I'm not trying to be your sugar daddy." He looked in Levi's eyes for a moment before reaching and taking his wrist, pulling him to the side of the street so they were out of the way. He needed to be more honest. "I like spending time with you. You brighten my day. That's why I don't want you to leave. You're always free to leave whenever you want but I won't hide that I hope you stay. I like you, Levi."

Levi looked extremely wary and unsure of what to think in response to that. Erwin knew he'd confessed quite a bit there, but nothing _too_ deep. Levi was smart though, he was probably working it out, if he hadn’t realised all of it already.

"How long do you want me to stay?" Levi asked, still looking hesitant.

"As long as you want to." Erwin replied, not being specific.

"What if I wanted to stay for a year?" Levi continued, raising an eyebrow.

"That would be great." Erwin replied with a soft smile, hoping he looked confident even though his heart was beating fast.

Levi's eyes widened and he looked a little horrified at that. "Seriously?" he spoke quickly, then his face relaxed into disapproval and he calmed himself down. "You're an idiot." He said before he pulled away and started walking again. Erwin hadn't even realised he had still been holding Levi's wrist the whole time.

"So, you'll stay longer?" Erwin asked as he caught up, checking he was understanding Levi.  

"No, I'm going to refuse your warm safe apartment, good food, and decent company in favour of a box and cat food on the street." Levi glared at him as he kept walking. "What restaurant are we going to?"

Erwin took that as a yes and hoped he didn't look too overly happy about Levi deciding dinner at a restaurant was okay too. Erwin hoped he'd managed to ease any concerns Levi had about his motives. He might bring it up again soon just to make sure. He didn't want Levi to be uncomfortable in his apartment.

"There's a good one a few streets over." Erwin replied. He wanted to reach for Levi again but held back on the urge. "It's a French restaurant, is that okay?"

Erwin thought he saw Levi's eyes light up slightly but it was quickly replaced by his usual expression. "Sounds fine."

~

Erwin knew the restaurant was fairly fancy but not overly so, but he still worried as they were greeted at the door and the doorman offered to take their coats. Levi had been wearing one of Erwin's shorter coats, which was still quite long and too large for him but it had kept him warm. He looked to Erwin as Erwin took off his coat and then took off his own and handed it over. They followed a waiter to a table and Erwin could tell Levi was a little uncomfortable as they sat.

"Relax, I promise it's not as scary as it might seem. No one will be looking at you." Erwin tried to encourage Levi.

“I know how to eat. What is there to be scared of?” Levi replied, sounding annoyed but Erwin could see he relaxed more than before anyway.

They both read through the menu. "Do you know what you want?" Erwin asked after a moment.

"Sea bass." Levi replied easily. At least Erwin didn't have to worry about Levi not knowing what he wanted.

"Is wine okay? Do you have any preference?"

Levi gave him a look that Erwin couldn’t read for a moment. "Just one glass." He finally replied.

At first Erwin started thinking maybe Levi was a light weight but then he realised what it really was. Levi was still worried because their fight earlier. He’d specifically mentioned a concern about Erwin giving him alcohol.

"Of course." Erwin replied with a smile. He only had himself to blame if he was giving off any impression that was making Levi nervous. He wanted him to feel safe and know that Erwin wasn't up to anything.

When the waiter came over Erwin instinctively gave both their orders and asked for two small glasses of a white wine. It wouldn't have been much more expensive to buy a whole bottle but that would definitely give off an impression he didn't want.

Part of Erwin wanted to bring up the topic of whether or not Levi was comfortable now, so that hopefully Levi could understand and relax the rest of the evening, but another part of him worried it might lead to another fight.

"Are you thinking something weird again?" Levi's voice cut into Erwin's thoughts and he realised he'd been staring at the table.

"No, sorry. It's nothing."

"Are you sure? You looked overly serious. You’ll get even more wrinkles if you keep that up."

Was Levi worried about him? Erwin shook his head and opened his mouth to answer but Levi cut him off again.

"Is this a date?"

It was Erwin's turn to look surprised for a moment. He really ought to have expected Levi to be blunt about this at some point but he’d been too busy thinking about everything else. "It can be if you want it to be." Erwin replied.

Levi looked wholly unimpressed. "Are you shitting me? So what you're saying is this is a date but you're too scared to go out on a limb and say it so you're willing to pretend this was never meant to be a date if I say no?"

Erwin blinked. Levi wasn't wrong. "I didn't want to scare you off."

"The first time you met me you jumped me, trapped me in a towel and then dumped me in a bath overnight. You think you asking me on a date is going to send me fleeing in terror?”

Erwin let out a short soft laugh. Levi had a way of putting things into perspective. "That's true, but in my defence you _did_ run off that night."

"Well yeah, wouldn't you have? Plus, I came back, didn't I?"

"That's true."

"So." Levi looked annoyed again as he waited for Erwin.

"So?" Erwin asked, feigning innocence.

Levi almost growled. "You are infuriating."

"Yet you still stay." Erwin replied with a smile.

"Free food and warmth, moron. Of course I stay."

"Is that the only reason you stay?" Erwin asked, keeping a calm face but full of nerves inside.

Levi was silent for a moment before the waiter arrived with their glasses of wine. Erwin thanked the waiter then looked back to Levi. He wasn't going to let the question be forgotten.

Levi sipped his wine, then looked at it as he replied. "Your sofa's comfy too."

"Levi". Erwin said, the tone of his voice asking for a better answer.

Levi looked him in the eyes, looking serious. "What would you do if I said it was?"

Erwin took some time to think it over. "Honestly, I'd be a little sad as I thought we were getting along well, but I wouldn't kick you out if that's what you're worried about. I want you to be safe and healthy, whether you like my company or not."

Levi nodded, apparently accepting that answer before sipping a little more of his wine. "Well you don't have to worry about that. I am on a date with you, after all."

Erwin didn't try and hide his smile at that. So he was okay with it being a date then. Erwin's stomach tingled with butterflies at the thought. He hadn’t felt those for a long time.

Levi was looking at Erwin smiling and shook his head. "Moron." he muttered softly, but his voice was full of fondness.


	7. Chapter 7

The date had gone well. The food had been good and they'd both opened up and gotten to know each other better. They'd covered Erwin's childhood and embarrassing moments in school, and Levi had spoken a little more about some of his memories with Farlan and Isabel. They sounded like quite the troublesome team but it filled Erwin with warmth to see Levi look so happy talking about himself and his past. Whenever he'd mentioned his past before, he looked sad. It was good to hear there were good memories behind him too.

When they'd finished dinner, they'd headed back to the apartment. It was too cold to go for a walk or do much else, so they'd opted for rushing home for warmth.

It could’ve been a little awkward, since they couldn’t end the date with a goodbye like most people. They were both staying at Erwin’s place, after all. However, Erwin found it comfortable rather than awkward. Levi seemed content too. They ended up sat on the sofa for several more hours. They didn't bother with the TV, neither of them in the mood for a show or a film after the cinema fiasco earlier.

"Is there anything you want to ask?" Levi questioned suddenly. They’d been comfortably alternating between talking and silence, and Levi had slowly moved closer as time had gone on. Now he was leaning his head on Erwin's shoulder. When Erwin didn't reply, Levi sat up and looked at him. "About my species. You've been avoiding it all this time. I expected you to break and ask me something stupid by now."

Erwin hesitated. There were a few things he wanted to ask but he didn't know what was acceptable. "I didn't want to ask something I shouldn't and accidentally offend you." He admitted.

Levi nodded. "Well you can ask now. If it's insulting, I'll kick you off the sofa."

Erwin relaxed slightly with a smile at the taunt and tried to think which question was most important. There was something not related to Levi being a Neko-hybrid that he really wanted to ask, but Levi wanted him to ask about his species right now so he would. "I know some Neko-hybrids like to look human but with some of their feline features, like their ears or whiskers, do you do that?"

Levi shrugged at the question. He didn’t look put off by it, so Erwin assumed it was okay. "Sometimes. Not often. Having whiskers and tails give us better senses and balance, amongst other things, so it can be good. I did that when I was alone with Farlan and Isabel. It can be comforting to be with other hybrids like that. Isabel always really liked it with us. I rarely do it away from them though. It’s the kind of thing that gets sexualised the most and I'm not up for being someone's toy."

Erwin nodded. He knew about people's fetish for Neko-hybrids too. "Do you have a preferred form?"

Levi looked thoughtful. "Being a cat's more useful for getting food and warmth. It's easier to stay out of the way and safe too; I can get into smaller areas." Survival reasons then, Erwin thought. That made sense. "I can't talk as a cat though and it can sometimes be harder to defend myself." Levi continued and gave Erwin a mildly mischievous look. "or escape if someone grabs me".

Erwin paused being enraptured by Levi’s honesty just to laugh. "You're not going to let that go, are you?" He smiled, shaking his head.

"No. It's an interesting first meeting story. I can't say I appreciated being forced into a towel and carried like that, but I do appreciate that you meant well."

That was the first time Levi had said he appreciated what Erwin had tried to do for him that night. He'd brought it up a few times to tease him with it and hadn't said anything specifically bad about it, so Erwin had a feeling Levi wasn't mad at him for it but this was the first time he'd confirmed it.

"Is there anything you want to ask me?" Erwin asked, taking this opportunity for them to be completely open and honest with each other.

"Do you have a Neko-hybrid fetish?" Levi didn't even hesitate before he asked and looked Erwin dead in the eyes. His voice wasn’t harsh but it wasn’t teasing either. He was serious.

"No." Erwin replied. "I like you for you, not because I have a thing for your species."

Levi nodded but didn't relax.

"Do you have a problem with me being a Neko-hybrid?" Levi's next question surprised Erwin. Where had that come from? Erwin worried he may have said something offensive previously and not noticed it, but he hoped that Levi was just asking general questions to make sure.

"Of course not. Neko-hybrid’s are people too. I can't stand that some humans have such trouble grasping the concept."

Levi nodded again. "Have you told anyone about me?"

Erwin felt a little embarrassed about that question and shook his head. "No, but not because I'm trying to hide you for any reason. I wasn't sure if you wanted people to know you were here. I wanted to wait until you decided if you were going to stay longer or not before I asked if I could tell people you're living with me." He then remembered mentioning him while he asked people at the shelter if they'd seen his friends. "The only people I've mentioned you to were at the shelters where I asked about Farlan and Isabel and all I said was that I was helping a friend find his friends."

Levi was looking down, as if he was thinking something over deeply. "I'm not some orphan or stray you can adopt to make yourself feel better." Levi said, still looking at his own lap.

"I know." Erwin reached out and put his hand over one of Levi's. "Levi, what can I do to assure you that I like you for _you_? I want you feel comfortable here and around me."

Levi looked up at him. "I'm not used to it. Even the people in communities weren't this nice to me. I keep expecting you to want something from me. You have to want something."

"I'm not expecting anything from you. The only thing I want you to do is be yourself and do what you want. You don't have to do anything for me, and that includes dates. You're always free to say no."

Levi continued acting hesitant for a moment, looking in Erwin’s eyes, before he nodded. "Good. I'd kick your ass if you tried anything."

Erwin smiled. That was better. "Go-" he stopped speaking as Levi moved slightly. Erwin watched as two black fluffy cat ears appeared on top of Levi's head and his human ones disappeared. He knew he was staring and he ought to stop but he couldn't help it. This was another very important level of trust Levi was placing in Erwin. He said he didn’t do this around anyone but his missing friends.

"… if you keep looking at me like that I'm going to hide them again." Levi wasn’t pleased with the attention.

Erwin hurried to try to undo any damage his staring may have caused. It came out in a bit of a rush. "No. No, no, I was just surprised, that's all. It looks good. So, you can hear better like that?" It was hardly the smoothest way to handle someone revealing something very private to you.

"Yeah, I can, so no loud noises, okay?" Levi looked cautious but slightly amused.

Erwin nodded then heard himself asking another sudden question because he could stop himself. "Are you scared of fireworks?"

"What the fuck?" Levi stopped looking cautious and instead was looking at Erwin like he was behaving bizarrely, which he supposed he was. "No... You know I'm not _actually_ a cat, right? I know what the big loud bangs in the sky are. I can even tell the difference between them and gun shots. I'm not that lame."

"Some humans are scared of fireworks." Erwin replied, absorbing the comment about gunshots with dread and filing it away as something to ask about another time. He didn't want to turn the conversation dark right now and there was no way that could have a happy story behind it.

"Are you?" Levi asked, looking curious. "If you're seriously about to tell me you're okay with running into a gang with knives but you're scared of noises in the sky I'm going to kick you."

"You seem to like threatening to kick me off the sofa." Erwin replied, amused.

"I didn't say off the sofa, just that I'd kick you." Levi countered.

Erwin laughed. "Oh, I see."

"So?" Levi asked.

Erwin looked at him in slight confusion before he remembered Levi’s question. "No, I'm not afraid of fireworks."

"What are you afraid of?" Levi asked, shifting position slightly to bring his legs up onto the sofa to sit sideways, with his head resting on Erwin’s arm on the back of the sofa. Erwin couldn't help but think he looked beautiful when he should be thinking about the question.

"Violence." Erwin answered after a while. Levi frowned at the response. "Before I lost my arm, I never really thought that I'd ever get in a serious fight or that I'd lose so badly. Now, I've been through it, I know I didn't stand a chance when I had both arms to defend myself with. I'd be even more useless now."

Levi's frown turned into concern. "I don't think you were useless. You saved that girls’ life and it changed yours too. The fight may not have gone as you'd thought it would but that doesn't mean you were useless. Have you thought about taking self-defence lessons though?"

"Like this?" Erwin was hesitant. Every time he'd looked at any form of fighting or self-defence, it usually involved all limbs.

"Of course. There are all kinds of things you can do with just one arm. I could teach you." Levi was confident and Erwin considered the proposal.

"You could?"

"Yeah, I did tell you I know what I'm doing a while ago. I wasn't lying. I'll teach you. Not right now though, I'm not moving." Levi looked very comfortable where he was and Erwin couldn’t help but smile.

"Thank you. I'll definitely take you up on that offer." Erwin was excited about the prospect of learning something to help him protect himself and deal with a fear, but also that Levi had offered to teach him himself. He had accepted Erwin's fear and immediately tried to think of something to help. No matter how hard his life had been, Levi had a kind soul. "What about you? Are you afraid of anything?"

Levi's ears flattened immediately at the question and took Erwin by surprise. Not only because it was a sudden and stronger reaction than he'd expected, but also that his ears could do that at all. He felt a little guilty for thinking he looked cute like that. Erwin wondered if maybe he should leave it be, but he also wanted to get to know Levi better and he never would if he kept avoiding asking anything out of worry that he might put a foot slightly wrong. Levi was stronger than that.

"You can tell me." Erwin said, pulling Levi a little closer with his arm around his shoulder. "If you want to."

"Water." Levi murmured, looking embarrassed and annoyed, but letting Erwin pull him closer.

"Water?" Erwin repeated. Was it because he’s a cat?

"It's not because I’m a cat." Levi snapped, looking up at him as if he'd read his mind. "Being a cat sometimes doesn’t mean I’m innately scared of water. Even regular cats aren't really. It's... because of something else."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really. It's nothing that interesting. Someone told me a horror story about somebody drowning when I was a child and it stuck with me. I've stayed away from deep water as much as possible since. I can deal with baths but I prefer showers."

Erwin's eyes widened as a horrible feeling filled his stomach. "When I put you in that bath the first night... were you-"

"No. There was no water. That was fine. I was more focused on what the fuck you were trying to do anyway."

"I could try and help you with it? Do you know how to swim?" Erwin asked, wanting to offer help like Levi had done for him.

"No, it's fine. I know how to swim. I learnt before I was told that story. It's easy to avoid deep water too. It's not a problem."

Levi sounded like he wasn’t going to back down on the matter, so Erwin dropped it. "Alright, well if you ever change your mind, I'll be glad to help."

"Yeah, yeah, you and your weird addiction to helping everyone." Levi rolled his eyes.

"Is it that weird?" Erwin asked, partly amused and partly genuinely curious.

"Definitely."

Erwin couldn't resist bringing up his hand to lightly scratch behind Levi's ears. He’d been resisting so far, but if Levi was comfortable enough showing him his ears and resting his head on Erwin’s arm, he figured he could potentially get away with stroking the ears too.

"You're such a fucking asshole." Levi said immediately but didn’t make any move to stop him.

Erwin laughed at the insult. It must feel nice then. He kept scratching gently and noticed Levi relax more and melt against him, closing his eyes and looking extremely comfortable.

"You're an ass." Levi added a minute later.

"Yes, I'm terrible." Erwin replied with a smile, stroking his fingers through Levi's hair and feeling him nuzzle his head a little closer to his hand.

There was a light patting sound and Erwin looked past Levi to see a black fluffy tail swishing back and forth, lightly hitting the back of the sofa each time it got close.

"Glad you know it. I'm gonna kick your ass tomorrow." Apparently Levi was very embarrassed by how much he was enjoying this but wasn’t willing to pull away.

"I'm sure you will, but hopefully I'll learn something from it." Erwin started stroking over the ears again, feeling Levi shiver lightly against him.

"I'm going to bite you." Erwin wasn't sure if that was an empty threat, Levi may well bite him, but he didn't think the threat was actually intended to stop him. Levi was the kind who would put up a big fight if Erwin did something he really didn't want.

"I may have difficulty explaining that to my co-workers if it's visible." Erwin replied with a smile.

"Tell them a cat bit you."

"They don't know I have a cat." He couldn’t resist.

Levi's eyes opened. "Fuck you. I'm not your pet." If Levi had said those words earlier, Erwin would have worried that he thought that was all Erwin considered him to be, but he knew from the situation and the tone of Levi's voice that he was playing and not serious.

"You'd look cute with a little bell." Erwin replied, continuing his teasing. Levi's eyes narrowed.

"I swear I'm going to destroy you tomorrow." The contrast between Levi's words and the glare on his face, and the way he was cuddled up to Erwin and nuzzling occasionally against the hand in his hair and on his ears, was adorable.

"I look forward to it." Erwin replied, voice full of confidence that Levi had inspired.

"Fetish freak." Levi grumbled, closing his eyes again and settling.

"Says the one who wants to bite me." Erwin replied smugly. He expected another insulting reply but instead let out a hiss at a sharp pain on his shoulder. Levi had actually bitten him.

"Go to bed." Levi demanded, pulling back and looking annoyed while starting to fix his hair and fur that had fluffed up.

Erwin laughed. "Alright, I'm going." It was probably time for bed anyway. He got up and stretched. Levi was already rearranging the sofa to his preference so he could sleep. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Yeah, yeah. Goodnight.” Levi pulled the blanket over him.

Erwin smiled as he walked towards his room. Today had been better than he ever could have expected.


	8. Chapter 8

When Erwin got up the following morning, Levi was back to having human ears and no tail. As much as Erwin didn’t want to ruin what had happened, he couldn't resist making a teasing comment about how cute Levi had been last night and smiled as Levi snapped at him.

"It's no different from humans liking having their hair played with, so shut up or I'll rub that toast into your face, bastard." Levi retorted, annoyed.

"Are you sure you'd not rather bite me again?" Erwin replied, still playing.

"When you get back from work, be on guard. I'm giving you no time to relax before I start teaching you." Levi glared as he replied before storming off for a shower as Erwin watched him with a smile.

One thing Erwin had noticed but hadn't commented on was that Levi appeared to have no problem with still wearing Erwin's clothes. He even seemed to have favourites. He often did the laundry while Erwin was at work and put it all away in Erwin's drawers but would keep the same few shirts and trousers to wear for himself. Erwin thought about offering to buy him some but Levi was still snippy about Erwin spending money on him so decided not to. If Levi was fine with the arrangement, then so was Erwin. He'd wait until Levi brought it up, if he ever did. He seemed quite comfortable in Erwin's big clothes and he looked good in them too, as far as Erwin was concerned, so there was no rush.

~

When Erwin got home from work, Levi wasn't in the lounge. He had a quick look in the other rooms and couldn't find him there either. He was worried, of course, but less worried that he would have been before. Levi was perfectly capable of going out for a day and coming back and Erwin was less afraid of him running off and leaving without a word now.

He made himself a cup of coffee and went over to the sofa, sitting on it to relax. That was when he finally spotted the note. His stomach dropped with fear for a moment before he unfolded it and read it.

> _I found another community and they say someone who matches Isabel's description is there but she's not intending to stay long so I've gone to check it out. I'll be back as soon as I can. The community leader says I can stay there overnight, so don't worry about me._
> 
> _Don't forget I'm going to kick your ass when I get back. Look up some one armed self-defence techniques online while I'm gone._
> 
> _Levi._

Erwin relaxed after he'd read the note. Sure, Levi was going to be away longer than Erwin had hoped, but it was only a night or maybe a few and there was a promise of a return. Erwin still wondered what would happen if Levi does find his friends at a community. Surely he'd want to stay with them, which would mean he wouldn't be with Erwin anymore and there was a good chance they'd lose contact. He didn't want to think about it but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t want to lose Levi forever.

Erwin kept himself busy by dropping by one of the homeless shelters and helping out. When it came time for bed it felt strange not saying goodnight to Levi. It was just as strange when he woke up to an empty apartment. He'd gotten so used to Levi being there that it felt very wrong without him. Erwin hoped he'd be back sooner rather than later.

When Erwin got home, Levi wasn't waiting outside. Erwin was a little disappointed, but then again it made sense for Levi not to hurry back when he still didn’t have a key and wouldn't be able to get inside until Erwin was home. It was a little before 5pm when the buzzer went, letting Erwin know someone was at the door. He rushed over and was delighted to see Levi standing there, looking adorable in Erwin's huge coat.

Erwin buzzed him in and then left the apartment door slightly open so Levi didn’t have to knock again. He put on the kettle and waited on the sofa for him.

"How did it go?" Erwin asked when Levi came through the door.

Levi shook his head and took off the coat, hanging it up on the hooks by the door.

"It wasn’t her. I wish I knew if she was still using the same name." Levi sat next to Erwin and immediately curled into him, resting one knee on Erwin's leg and an arm across his chest with his head on his shoulder.

Erwin felt happiness bubble throughout him. Levi had cuddled up to Erwin's right side so he couldn't wrap an arm around him but he could still link the fingers of his left hand with Levi's on his chest.

"We'll keep looking. We'll find them in time. Are you hungry? Shall I cook something?"

Levi shook his head and nuzzled closer. "In a bit."

Erwin stayed silent as Levi tried to relax.

"It's been so long. They could be anywhere by now." Levi spoke after a moment. Erwin was sure Levi was trying to hide the real depth of his distress.

"We won't give up." Erwin reassured him as he started stroking his Levi’s fingers with his thumb.

Levi seemed to relax a little more. "Thank you for helping me look for them." He then gestured vaguely in the air. "and for everything else."

Erwin smiled and let go of Levi's hand to stroke his hair instead. "You're welcome. I'm happy to help."

Levi looked up at Erwin and he felt the mood shift. This was one of those moments in films where the couple always had their first kiss. Erwin wasn't keen on the idea of kissing Levi when he was vulnerable and upset though. He didn't want him to regret it later. Instead, he leant in and kissed Levi's forehead before getting up. "Let me make you dinner. You need to eat and rest after that trip."

"You're a fucking moron." Levi replied, dissatisfied.

"I know, but I like to think I'm still a good person." Erwin heard a sigh from behind him as he turned around and set to work on making dinner.

~

The next few days were a mixture of fighting (for self-defence) and searching (for Isabel and Farlan). Levi taught Erwin a few moves to defend himself with, mostly based on techniques he'd learned to use in situations where one or both hands were tied behind his back or otherwise incapacitated. Erwin picked them up fairly fast and was extremely grateful for Levi's help.

Erwin tried his best to keep his mind clean as they fought, focusing on how Levi's body moved so he could defend against it rather than imagining how it would feel writhing against his. It didn't help that they got into various pinning positions that just added further fuel to his fantasies and dreams. He controlled his body but let his mind wander, hoping that Levi couldn't somehow tell what he was thinking and dreaming about.

Erwin knew that Levi agreeing to the date was a good sign, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to make the next move. He thought perhaps it had something to do with Levi living with him. If anything went wrong, it wasn't going to be easy to fix. They didn't really have any way of taking space if they needed it. Should that stop him from trying though? If he didn't do anything then he could lose it all anyway.

When they weren't practising, they went about their days as usual. Erwin went to work and did his volunteering. Levi thought about coming with him to volunteer sometimes, but always opted to spend the time looking for his friends instead. They'd found another few shelters to look at but Levi came home disappointed every time. Erwin could only imagine how hard it must be for him to have no clue where his friends are or if they're even still in the country. Levi was a trooper though. He held up well and never once wobbled. There was no chance that he'd ever give up. Levi reminded Erwin of those dedicated parents that never gave up looking for their lost child and holding hope.

Erwin was determined to help him keep looking. When the potential communities began getting further away, Erwin started offering to drive him and take a few days off work. Levi had turned him down so far, giving a range of excuses including not wanting to get in Erwin's way, but Erwin had shot that idea down. He had no problem taking a few days off and working a few extra days later to make up for it if it meant he could help Levi. It wasn't just helping him physically get to the places, it was the emotional support side of it too. He'd helped Levi book hotels a few times now and it was easy to see how stressed he got about it. The hotel's cleanliness and hygiene were always the most important part. Erwin knew how important hygiene was to Levi but Erwin wasn't sure how to handle it. He did his best to support Levi in anything he asked him to do and always made sure there was a good supply of cleaning things in his apartment. Erwin would clean it himself to help out but Levi always did it while Erwin was out and before he had the chance, and the few times where he’d walked in on Levi cleaning, Levi had kicked him out and refused his assistance. Erwin could help check out the hotel ratings though. He wanted to do more but Levi avoided any attempts Erwin made at bringing it up.

A week later, Erwin tried to ask Levi out for dinner again, to which he received an unimpressed look. "I have a better idea. Let me cook for you." Levi replied.

Erwin looked surprised. "You can cook?" Levi had tried helping out when Erwin cooked them dinner but a) Erwin enjoyed cooking so was happy doing it alone, and b) Levi didn't really seem to know what he was doing beyond the basics. Erwin figured he could cook well enough to survive on his own but there was a difference between that and what Erwin did.

"I can." Levi didn't sound as confident as usual but Erwin wasn't going to comment on it.

Instead, Erwin smiled warmly. "I'd love that. Thank you."

~

The night Levi made dinner was a mixed success. He got angry at Erwin for hanging around and offering to help too often and sent him to his room to stay out of the way. It wasn't exactly the best start to a romantic date night in, but it didn't ruin it either. Erwin found it kind of amusing and Levi was relaxed again when he called Erwin in to eat.

It was a pretty basic meal of pasta and sauce but it was still nice and Erwin would have been happy no matter what. Erwin may have praised the meal and Levi a little too much because he received several glares and quite a bit of swearing but Levi didn't send him to his room again.

When they were finished Levi did the dishes, cleaning them extra well, then joined Erwin on the sofa to watch a film. He sat on Erwin's left side and Erwin put his arm around his shoulders. Levi didn't lean in initially, but by about half way through the film he'd sunk so his head was on Erwin's shoulder. Levi didn't seem all that interested in the film, probably because it was an action film and he still got mad about pointless deaths, so Erwin wasn't surprised when he looked down to see Levi looking more interested in the buttons on Erwin's shirt.

"I can turn it off if you’d like?" he offered, gesturing towards the TV.

Levi looked up then shook his head. "I don't care. You seem to be enjoying it."

Erwin didn't mind the film but he'd seen it before so he didn't mind not watching the end. He was about to say so when Levi spoke again. "I can hear your heart."

"Oh? Does it sound okay?" Erwin asked, teasing lightly.

Levi rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I was just wondering what it would do if I did this though." Levi moved quickly, straddling Erwin's legs and pressing his hands against Erwin's shoulders.

"… I imagine it's probably beating quite a bit faster.” Erwin replied, stunned by the action.

Levi moved a hand to Erwin's neck, using two fingers to find his pulse. "Mmm, it is."

"Is this another fighting test?" Erwin asked, still a little stunned by the situation.

"No, you fucking idiot. You're the one that started with all this flirting and date stuff. I've seen your human books and films. Aren't you supposed to have kissed me by now? You don't think I'm oblivious to your reactions during our sparring, do you? I know you want to."

Erwin felt himself heat up. Levi was calling him out on his inaction. "You could have kissed me first, you know."

"I could have but that'd be too easy for you. Make a move already, I'm not fragile. If I was going to run away I would have done it by now. Stop treating me like I'm going to break at any moment." Levi had said a similar thing during their sparring when Erwin hadn't been putting his full effort into his hits. Levi was strong; he wasn't going to get hurt by Erwin.

Erwin felt his breath settle his nerves and he looked at Levi's lips.

"Oh no. No.” Levi shook his head.  “You don't get off that easy. You think I'll let you do it now I've had to _tell_ you to?"

"Yes, I do, because it means you really want it." Erwin replied, his confidence growing as he leaned closer.

"… why should I let you?" Levi asked, not pulling back.

"Because you're beautiful and I need you." Levi frowned at Erwin's words, as if he thought that was a weird reason, but didn’t get the chance to say anything as Erwin closed the gap and pressed his lips to Levi's. Erwin moved his hand to Levi's hair, tangling his fingers in it as he kissed him softly. Levi tensed for a moment before relaxing.

"You fucking idiot." Levi grumbled against Erwin's lips before shoving him back against the sofa and moving in for another kiss. The kiss was a little harder but still fairly gentle, despite the roughness of the shove. Erwin lightly played with Levi's hair as they kissed, moving their lips together softly. The kiss stayed slow and gentle as it deepened.  

That was as far as they took things that night. Neither had any complaints about that. Erwin wondered how taking it further would even work, since Levi was a different species. That wasn't a question he was going to bring up yet though. He didn't even know if Levi was interested in that anyway.

 


	9. Chapter 9

About a month after Erwin had started offering to take Levi to hotels while he searched communities, Levi finally said yes. They were going to a community in a city that was a day's drive away and it wasn't really much faster by train. He'd have to stay at least two nights and it had been a while since they'd found a new community to check so Levi was getting especially anxious. When Erwin had offered, Levi hadn't put up any of his usual resistance. He just nodded and quietly said "Yes, please". They chose to leave on Thursday and come back Saturday or Sunday, which meant Erwin only had to take Friday off, since he didn't work the other days anyway.

The drive there was a little strained. Levi was clearly anxious to find out if his friends were in this community and the long drive only made it harder. Erwin tried to distract him with the radio and conversation but every topic seemed to lead back to Farlan and Isabel in some way and it only made Levi stressed again. Since the drive was so long and Erwin was the only one who could drive, they took several breaks and ended up arriving at the hotel just after 11pm.

When they reached the hotel they went straight up to their room. Erwin had booked a twin room after Levi had glared at him for suggesting two rooms. Erwin wasn’t sure of the reasons for Levi’s ‘You’re an idiot’ stare this time but he went along with it and booked a twin. He didn’t think having kissed Levi a few times meant he ought to start booking double beds just yet. They hadn’t even shared his own.

Levi headed straight over to the window after putting his bag down on the bed.

“Levi?” He had been especially quiet during the last couple of hours of the journey. Erwin had hoped it was just tiredness from the long trip but he wasn’t sure. He moved behind Levi, who didn’t turn. “Are you tired? We can go to bed if you’re ready.”

Levi stayed still for several seconds longer before finally turning. He looked like he was desperately trying to hold in a tidal wave of emotion. The search was taking a serious toll on him. Erwin raised his hand and stroked over Levi’s arm gently. “You should get some rest.” Erwin wanted to offer to go with him for support tomorrow but he wasn’t going to be allowed into a neko community when they’ve never met him before.

Levi leant slightly into the touch and the force behind his eyes seemed to calm a fraction. “I _need_ to find them.”

“I know. We will. You will.” Erwin stepped closer and wrapped his arm around Levi. He held him loosely until Levi leant back into the embrace, giving him permission to hold him more closely. “They might be there tomorrow, but if not then we’ll keep on searching. Levi, I’m willing to support you however you need.”

Levi opened his mouth for a moment before shutting it again and leaning in instead, resting his forehead against Erwin’s chest. “I just need to know they’re safe. I want to see them, but I can do without that if I have to as long as I know they’re safe and happy.”

Erwin stroked Levi’s hair, trying to soothe him. “We’ll find them.” he repeated in a soft voice. “You should get some rest. I don’t want you getting ill.”

Levi made no move to act on Erwin’s suggestion. He stayed there, forehead still against Erwin’s chest, taking in the feeling of the hand in his hair. Erwin waited a little longer for Levi to reply but when he got no response, he tried again. “Levi…” he pulled back enough to bend down slightly to look at Levi’s face. “Let’s get ready for bed. We’ll get up early tomorrow and you can go to the community.”

Levi looked vulnerable as he made eye contact with Erwin. It was no surprise that the search was draining the man. Especially as he already seemed to have problems with anxiety. Erwin leant in to give him a gentle kiss. He was caught a little off guard by the way Levi responded to it. Levi leant up and wrapped his arms around Erwin’s neck, pulling him in for more. It was still a gentle and slow kiss as their tongues met, and Erwin wrapped his arm around Levi’s waist. As the kiss continued, Levi moved one hand into Erwin’s hair and started running through it and gently tugging on it. He kept hold of Erwin as he started moving towards the nearest bed, pulling Erwin with him.

Erwin let go of Levi as the shorter man sat down on the bed and started shuffling up it to get more comfortable, all the while giving Erwin a look that demanded he follow him. Erwin obeyed and walked to the side of the bed closer to Levi before kneeling on it. He swung a leg over Levi and propped himself up on his elbow before he leant in to resume their kiss. Things stayed gentle, them both focusing on comforting each other and enjoying this moment without wanting more. Levi ran his hands over Erwin’s back and sides, but never dipped lower, silently letting Erwin know his limit.

“Stay with me.” Levi spoke softly, his voice just above a whisper, as he looked up at Erwin in between kisses. Erwin assumed that meant share his bed tonight. 

“Of course. Let me get washed up.” Erwin pressed another quick kiss to Levi’s lips before getting off the bed. Levi’s soft smile told him his assumption was right.

When Erwin came back from the en-suite bathroom, he was wearing his pyjama bottoms but had left his top off. Levi already knew Erwin slept without a top when it was warm enough, and it would certainly be warm enough with two of them under the duvet. Levi didn’t look at all hesitant as Erwin came closer, so Erwin assumed there would be no problem.  

A little while later, Levi came out of the bathroom in one of Erwin’s baggy shirts and his underwear. However, Erwin’s eyes were drawn to the tail and ears that had appeared instead of the exposed thighs. It warmed his heart to think about how far they’d come and how much they trusted each other already.

Erwin was already in the bed, having picked his usual side and hoping that was okay. Levi didn’t appear to mind as he got in next to him and turned off the bedside light. Erwin shuffled forward a little as Levi moved in. He wrapped his arm around Levi and Levi curled up, bringing his knees up and pressing his back against Erwin’s chest. Erwin let out a soft breathy laugh as he felt a furry tail curl around his legs. He nuzzled his nose against the part where cat ear met human head for a moment, feeling a swell of fondness in him.

“You like playing with them?” Levi asked, twitching his ears as he spoke.

Erwin smiled moved his hand to stroke over and tickle one of Levi’s ears. “I seem to recall you rather liked me playing with them too.” he replied, amusement and fondness in his voice.

Erwin laughed as Levi grumbled unintelligibly but pressed his head against Erwin’s hand. After another minute of Erwin playing with the ear, Levi turned over, pressing his forehead against Erwin’s chest again and nudging the hand for more. Erwin resumed his playing. He stroked his fingers through Levi’s hair, over the ears, tickled the base, everything that seemed to make Levi happy enough to nuzzle his chest slightly and flick his tail against Erwin’s leg. Erwin froze for a moment when he heard a soft rumble, wondering what it was for a moment before he recognised the sound. Levi was purring.

A bright smile filled Erwin’s face at the realisation. That was just too cute and it meant so much. Levi had to be incredibly comfortable with him to purr like that. “Adorable.” he said aloud as his hand continued.

“Shut up, pervert.” Levi replied, using his pretend angry voice.

“Pervert?” Erwin questioned. “I remember you kissing me and pulling me to bed.”

“Don’t act like you don’t say my name when you’re asleep. I bet all your best dreams are about making me _purr_ beneath you, hm?”

Erwin felt his face flush at the suggestion of him talking during his more explicit dreams about Levi and the idea of making him purr in that way. Had Levi really heard that or was he making it up to tease him? Erwin tried not to let it get to him as he countered Levi’s teasing. “Is that what you want me to do?”

Levi made a sound like a supressed cough in surprise. “I told you, I’m not into guys with a Neko fetish.” he recovered.

“It’s a good thing I only have a Levi fetish then.” Erwin replied with no shame.

Levi groaned loudly and nudged his head against Erwin’s chest in horror at the cheesiness of what he’d just heard. “Oh God. What is wrong with you?” he asked with another groan, despite the soft happy rumbling still coming from him.

Erwin just smiled, tracing his finger along the base of Levi’s right ear. “I met someone who changed my life.” He replied earnestly. He couldn’t see Levi’s face in the dark, but he felt him still for a moment before pressing closer.

“Moron.” Levi mumbled as he wrapped an arm around Erwin waist and tangled his legs with Erwin’s.

Erwin smiled as Levi lay his tail on his thigh again. He pressed a soft kiss to the ear he’d been playing with and left his hand there, fingers comfortably in Levi’s hair. Levi kept purring even after he’d fallen asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Erwin woke to the sound of Levi moving about the room. He slowly sat up, pulling the duvet with him to keep him warm. “What time is it?” he asked, blinking sleepily at Levi.

“Five.” Levi replied. There was no way either of them had had enough sleep but Erwin could understand the nerves waking Levi early. Levi was already dressed and fiddling with his bag as Erwin swung his legs out of bed. He was a little disappointed that he didn’t wake up with Levi in his arms, but falling asleep with him last night had been more than enough to make him smile like a fool as he headed to the bathroom to get ready.

Erwin wasn’t going to the community with Levi but he hardly going to sleep while Levi was out either. Erwin planned to investigate the town while Levi was away. Levi had Erwin’s number if he needed him, saved onto the cheap phone Erwin had convinced Levi to let him buy him (Levi had insisted he choose the cheapest). He dressed comfortably and came out of the bathroom to find Levi ready to leave. Erwin had offered to drop him off but Levi had made other arrangements with the community.

“Good luck. Let me know how it goes.” Erwin stroked Levi’s cheek before leaning in for a soft kiss. Levi returned the kiss quickly then grabbed his coat and put his things in his pockets. He was unusually quiet but Erwin knew it was most likely nerves and didn’t want to interfere. Erwin held Levi’s hand as they walked down to the entrance and gave his hand a gentle squeeze before they parted. Erwin headed into town to have a look around, while Levi went straight to the community.

Time passed far too slow for Erwin. None of the shops were open this early but he had a few parks and sights he hoped to see. Plus, the cafés were open. The problem wasn’t that he had nothing to do, but that he couldn’t keep his mind off Levi. He usually worried about Levi when he was out looking in communities but normally he was too far away for Erwin to do anything about it. It felt even worse knowing that he was so close but Erwin still couldn’t help him. He tried to distract himself throughout the day with some shopping and a nice lunch but his mind kept wandering back to Levi.

He thought over last night a lot. A lot of developments had happened yesterday. They’d shared a bed for the first time, cuddled close together, and Levi had been relaxed and happy enough to not only show his ears and tail to Erwin again but to purr with him. It meant so much that Levi was that comfortable and close with him. It felt like things were getting more serious.

Around 5pm, when Erwin was beginning to wonder what to do for dinner, he received a text from Levi.

> _I’m staying here for dinner. There’s some people that match their descriptions but they won’t be back until later._

Erwin took a deep breath and hoped Levi got lucky today and it finally was them. He text back a quick reply.

> _Okay. Let me know when you’re coming back <3_

Three hours later, Erwin had eaten and returned to the hotel room. He had just stepped into the shower when his phone rang. Not wanting to miss it in case it was important, he hurried back out of the shower and grabbed his phone, wrapping a towel around him as he went. Levi’s name was on the screen and he immediately answered.

“Lev-“

“It’s them! I found them! Erwin, we found them!” Erwin went silent in surprise at Levi’s excited declaration. He’d finally found them. Levi sounded over the moon with happiness. Erwin didn’t know what to say but had a big smile on his face.

“Levi that’s…” he let out a happy breath, almost like a laugh. “Levi, that’s brilliant. Are they okay? Are they happy to see you?”

“Yes, yes. Everything’s great.” Erwin had never heard Levi sound so happy. It made his voice sound younger too. “I’ll- I don’t know what we’re doing but I’ll let you know when I’m coming back okay?”

“Okay. I miss you.” The words felt so natural that he didn’t even think about it until he noticed the silence on the other end.

“I-…. I’ll see you later.” Erwin felt a slight knot of anxiety in his stomach that he’d done something wrong when Levi had sounded so happy before, but that quickly disappeared when Levi spoke again softly. “I miss you too. Bye.” He hung up quickly, but Erwin had heard him clearly and his big grin was back.

Erwin was on a high as he waited in the hotel room. He was so happy that he didn’t even worry about what would happen now – would Levi come back with him or want to stay with the community and his friends? Levi had finally found his friends and was willing to say sweet things like ‘I miss you’ to him and that was all he could think about.

After his shower and a couple of films, Erwin noticed it was coming up to midnight and the worry started to sink in. Levi might stay there tonight, that made sense, but what about tomorrow? They’d only booked the hotel for two nights. Erwin picked up his phone and opened his texts, trying to work out what to say.

> _I hope everything’s still going well. Will you be coming back tonight or staying there?_

He hoped the message didn’t sound too clingy or anything negative. He just wanted to know whether to expect him back or not.

A few minutes later he got a reply as he was brushing his teeth.

> _I’ll try to come back but I don’t know when. Don’t wait up for me._

Erwin felt a little bit relieved. At least he had a bit more of an idea about what was going on now.

> _Okay. Goodnight._

Erwin frowned at the message. That didn’t sound right. It was far too stoic. He deleted what he’d written and started again.

> _I don’t know how I’m going to sleep without my furry musical hot water bottle but I’ll have to make do. Goodnight Levi x_

The reply to that was much faster.

> _Fucker_

Erwin laughed. That was more like it.

He put his phone on the bedside table and got under the sheets, choosing to sleep in the bed they’d shared last night. He was curious about which Levi would choose when he came in, but for now he settled for drifting off to sleep while remember the feeling of Levi so close to him.


	11. Chapter 11

When morning came, Erwin woke alone. Levi hadn’t come back. Erwin was a little disappointed but understood why. Of course Levi would want to spend more time with his friends. He’d only just found them after so long of searching. If Erwin was in his position, he wouldn’t want to leave them quickly either.

Erwin swung his legs out of bed and sat up before checking his phone. He had a text from Levi.

> _I hope I don’t wake you. I’m staying here tonight. We’ll talk tomorrow._

Erwin tried to ignore the slightly sick feeling in his stomach. Why did that feel like a bad thing to him? He should be happy for Levi; he’d found his family.

Erwin only admitted the truth to himself after he’d given up on his toast at breakfast and retreated back to his room. He was scared of losing Levi. He’d been so excited for him at first but now reality was setting in and he didn’t know what Levi was going to do. Erwin felt so strongly for him and he wasn’t ready to give him up. What were the chances that his friends would want to be anywhere near Erwin though? They couldn’t go back to the community near Erwin and Erwin couldn’t move. This was it. This would be the end of him and Levi. It broke his heart.

Erwin forced himself to reply to the text. He’d put it off so far, not wanting to interrupt Levi or hear Levi confirm that he wasn’t coming back.

> _Levi, we are supposed to check out by 11. Would you like me to book another night?_

It was only two hours until they needed to check out. He didn’t mind booking another night if Levi wanted him to. Although, if Levi was staying at the community, he wouldn’t need Erwin in the hotel. He wouldn’t need the ride back to city either.

The reply came 15 minutes later. Erwin had started loosely packing his things, just in case.

> _I’m going to stay here for a while. You should head back. I’ll come back in a few days._

Erwin wasn’t sure how to feel. He was truly happy for Levi but at the same time he couldn’t help his sadness at the thought of losing him. Would Levi really come back in a few days? Levi had what he wanted now. Sure, their dates had been good but were they really enough to Levi to come back for?

> _Okay. I wish you all the best. Shall I leave your things with the hotel luggage store?_

Levi didn’t have much with him, just clothes and toiletries really, but he’d probably want them nonetheless. Erwin wanted to say he’d miss him but he didn’t want to guilt trip Levi. If Levi wanted to stay, then he should.

> _Sure. Thanks. I’ll see you soon_.

Erwin finished packing his things and left the hotel. He tried not to mope too much on his way back. He was desperately happy for Levi that he’d found his friends again but he couldn’t help moping. He’d grown so attached to Levi and it hurt that he could be losing him.

~

The Tuesday after Levi had found his friends, two days after Erwin had arrived home, there was a knock at Erwin’s door. When Erwin had gotten back from the trip he’d gone straight to bed, exhausted from all the driving, and tried to get back into his normal routine the next day. He tried to ignore the pangs in his chest when he looked at his sofa or the pile of his clothes Levi had always borrowed. He tried not to worry if Levi would never come back. They’d exchanged a couple of texts since Erwin had left, but they’d been very short with Levi saying he was okay but busy and that was it. Erwin grew more sure that Levi wasn’t coming back. He couldn’t fault him though. Levi had found his friends, his family. Erwin, on the other hand, was just a guy he’d known for a few months and who had originally kidnapped him. It made sense and Erwin held no ill feeling towards Levi or his friends. He did miss him though.

When he heard the knock on his door, he jumped. He’d been eating his dinner – well, playing with it as he daydreamed about Levi – and hadn’t been expecting any company. He slowly went to the door and looked through the peephole. His heart stopped. No way. Was it really?

He fumbled as he tried to hurriedly open the door. Levi was giving him a mildly alarmed and confused look as Erwin struggled the door open and stared at him in shock. “Levi.”

“Erwin… you look like you’ve seen a ghost. Are you okay?”

“You’re here.”

“Yup.” Levi nodded. “I am here. In the hallway. Can I come in? Or do I not live here anymore?”

Erwin’s eyes widened at the question and Levi’s expression changed. It had been his usual confidence but now Levi wavered.

“I didn’t think you’d come back.” Erwin admitted, still shocked.

“Did you not want me to?” Levi asked, looking unsure, with his eyes flickering to the side for a moment.

“Of course I did!” Erwin startled into life. Levi must have interpreted his shock as meaning he hadn’t wanted him back. “Come in. I just… I thought you’d want to stay with your friends.” Erwin stepped to the side.

Levi stayed standing in the hall, defiant and still unsure. “If you didn’t want me to come back then you should have said so.”

“I did want you to come back. Do. I miss you.” _Fuck_. Levi had only just come back and Erwin had already screwed it up.

“I don’t need your charity. The shelter said I could join them. You don’t need to look after me because there’s nowhere else now. If you want me to go I will.” Levi sounded angry but he looked hurt and like he didn’t really want to leave. Erwin thought he was convincing him.

“ _Levi_ , I don’t want you go.” Erwin said quickly but he meant it. “I just thought you wouldn’t come back. You friends are back there and I didn’t think there was anything here for you.”

“Nothing at all?” Levi’s expression hardened at that. Erwin had fucked up again.

“I…” Erwin wasn’t sure what to say to that. “Levi. Come in, please?”

“I guess I made a mistake. I thought there was someone here for me but I guess not.”

“Wait, wait, Levi.” Erwin stepped forward to grab Levi’s arm and stop him leaving. He froze when he spotted two angry people standing to the side, previously hidden by the wall. “…hello.”

Levi wrenched his arm away. “You don’t get to talk to them.”

Levi’s friends. They were Levi’s friends. They matched his description perfectly, except for the angry scowls on their faces. Levi had brought his friends to see him. Erwin had fucked up. Levi had come back and had brought his friends. He was letting Erwin in, not pushing him out.

“Levi.” Erwin tried again. “Wait. I’m sorry. I misunderstood. Can we try this again? I missed you, so much, I really have. I was worried that since you’d found your friends and an accepting community that you wouldn’t come back, that was why I was surprised. I wasn’t trying to get rid of you. I thought I’d lost you.” Erwin admitted, desperately trying to get Levi to understand him.

Levi frowned as he thought over Erwin’s words.

“Wow, he’s cheesy.” Isabel commented.

Farlan snorted. “He’s an idiot too. I’m hungry though so I say we go in.”

Levi looked like he was holding in a groan at Farlan’s words. “We can eat elsewhere, we don’t need to st-“

“I was planning to order in. Pizza. I’d be happy to order for you all too.” Erwin offered, cutting Levi off.

“We’re not your fucking charity cases, you can’t buy-“ Levi started, angry, but stopped when Farlan and Isabel had already made their way inside.

“Big brother, stop being so fussy. Food is food and the guy looks so sad. Give him a chance.” Isabel said cheerily from Erwin’s sofa.

“Fucking hell.” Levi cursed under his breath before heading inside with a sigh.

Erwin failed to hold back his grin. He introduced himself to Isabel and Farlan, then handed them his laptop and told them to order whatever Pizzas they wanted, as long as they got enough for Levi and him too. He then asked Levi to follow him to the bedroom so they could talk. Levi gave him an angry look before walking ahead towards the bedroom.

“Levi.” Erwin started once he’d shut the door. “I’m sorry I made a mess back there. I didn’t mean to make it look like I didn’t want you here.”

“Do you want me here?” Levi asked, arms folded and looking guarded.

“ _Yes_. I’ve missed you so much.” Erwin was desperate for Levi to understand. He didn’t want to ruin this chance.

“I told you I’d be back in a few days. Why the hell were you surprised to see me?” Levi didn’t relax.

“I thought now you’d found your friends you wouldn’t need me.”

“Need you? Did you think I was fucking using you?” Levi looked angrier. “I told you I don’t need your charity. I stayed because I liked it here with you.”

“I’m sorry, Levi. I know you liked it here. I know you weren’t using me.”

“You’re pitying yourself, aren’t you? Thinking you’re not important?” Levi stared at him hard before sighing. “For fuck’s sake, Erwin. You need to value yourself more.”

Erwin only nodded.

“I am important. Say it.” Levi demanded, his arms still folded and looking like a disapproving teacher.

“What?” Erwin asked as Levi looked at him determinedly.

“Say “I am important.” Levi repeated. “and don’t try and twist it. You know what I fucking mean.”

Erwin hesitated before doing as demanded. “I am important.”

“Good. Now stop being whiny and come meet my friends. They’ve probably eaten everything in your kitchen by now.” Levi grabbed Erwin’s hand and pulled him towards the door. Erwin yanked him back, sending the unsuspecting Levi into his chest.

Erwin wrapped his arm around him tight. Levi relaxed after getting over his surprise. “I missed you.” Erwin spoke softly.

Levi brought his hands up to place them on Erwin’s back. “You’re an idiot. I can’t believe you thought I wasn’t coming back.” Levi’s voice was friendly as he leant up, meeting Erwin in a sweet kiss. “Can we stay here tonight? All of us?”

“Of course you can.” Erwin replied warmly, fully meaning it. “Although, I don’t have three sofas.” He joked.

“That’s fine. Farlan and Isabel can share the sofa. I’ll share with you.” Levi replied with a smug smile. Erwin was looking forward to tonight.

 

**Epilogue**

They ended up with four large pizzas for the four of them. Farlan and Isabel ate the most. After their initial misunderstanding, Erwin found he got along well with Levi’s friends. They were different from Levi but in a good way. The three of them complimented each other and he could see how they’d ended up like family.

That night, while Farlan and Isabel got comfortable sleeping on the sofa, Levi crawled into bed with Erwin, settling comfortably at his side. Erwin resisted the urge for only a few minutes before reaching up and playing with Levi’s Neko ears.

It took a few days, but they eventually settled on an arrangement that worked for everyone. Farlan and Isabel were going to stay at the community. The community was happy for Levi to visit as much as he wanted as long as he obeyed their rules, which was fine, but the journey was too long and inconvenient to make every week. Instead, Levi was going to join the community and move in with Farlan and Isabel. Erwin and Levi would continue to see each other and would deal with the long distance. Erwin would visit Levi when he could.

Ten months later, Erwin moved. He rented an apartment just under and hour from the community. Technically, Levi still lived at the community, but he spent half each week staying with Erwin. Erwin, Levi, Isabel, and Farlan had never been happier.


End file.
